Cabbage Paruppu Usili

 This dish is one of the most exotic, nutritious and wholesome dry curry as it is a combination of lentils and vegetables. To ensure that the curry is light and fluffy, follow the method of breaking the dal as it is outlined in the recipe, which has never failed me in more than 2 decades!!
This dish is one of our family favourite too!!!

Ingredients to serve 6 people

2 Cups Finely Chopped Cabbage
 ¼ Cup Water (to cook the cabbage)
¾ Cup Toor Dal
¼ Cup Channa Dal or Yellow Split Peas
2 Cups Water (to soak the dals)
2-3 Red Chillies
½ Tsp. Turmeric Powder
1-2 Tsp. Salt

For Seasoning

2 Tbs. Oil
1 Tsp. Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp. Urad dal
¼ Tsp. Asafoetida Powder
Few Sprigs Curry Leaves
 

Cabbage Paruppu Usili Recipe

Cabbage Paruppu Usili

                                    

Preparation

Soak the toor dal, channa dal, red chillies in about 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours. 
Drain the water and grind the above into a soft mixture. 
Cook the chopped cabbage in a pan with less than a quarter cup of water directly in a pan covered with a lid. 
Cook it for about 5-6 minutes, stirring the cabbage lightly with a ladle until cooked.    

Steam the ground mixture in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes (without placing the weight)
When it cools down, scoop a tablespoon of the mixture, add a drop of oil and blend it for a few seconds in the blender. 
The mixture turns powdery.  Repeat the process for the entire mixture and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. 
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the urad dal, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and curry leaves and fry it till the urad dal  turns golden brown. 
Add the powdered mixture and fry for about 2 minutes. 
Gently fold in the cooked cabbage and salt.
Fry it on a low flame for 3 minutes.

Note: 
There is another method of breaking up the soft mixture in order that it becomes powdery. 
Add the soft mixture directly into the heated pan with the seasoning. 
Gently stir the mixture on a medium flame till itstarts to break up and becomes powdery.
The other vegetables that can be used to make this dish are beans, banana flower, chokes.
Cabbage generally tastes good when cooked directly in a pan and not in a microwave oven.  Alternatively if you would like to cook the cabbage in the microwave oven, you can do so by cooking the chopped cabbage in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water on high for 5-6 minutes.

 

Comments

  1. Shylaja Rao says:

    Gonna try this one next! Will tell you how it turns out…..

     
    • Shobha Krishnan says:

      That will be great Shyla – love this exotic dish as it is wholesome with a combo of lentils and veges in one great dish!!!please do let me know how you went with it – yet another dish for the “cabbage” in the fridge!!!

       
      • Shylaja Rao says:

        Excellent! Came out really well, Shobha! Thanks! Very nutritious, healthy and delicious!

         
        • Shobha Krishnan says:

          Absolutely – a wholesome meal by itself – a combination of lentils and vegetable – another exotic one for the Vegans…..in fact most of the “everyday” south indian meals are the Best Bet for the Vegans…..

           
  2. I tried this with cauliflower. it came out great!

     
    • Shobha Krishnan says:

      Hi Malini appreciate you taking the time to post your comment as well as your suggestion! Will definitely try it with cauliflower and post it on CWS!