Tuesday 7 February 2012

Cabbage Rice



Not many folks are fond of cabbage at home. They feel it has a pungent odour, pungent taste and does not have much value. But I beg to differ. Cabbage is a wonderful vegetable. It is a rich source of Vitamins C and B2 (riboflavin). It can be used in diet programs for a low calorie diet. And it can be made very tasty!

Ingredients:
Cabbage, small - 1 (typically 2 cups of shredded cabbage)
Rice - 1 cup (150 ml rice measuring cup)
Onions, medium - 1
Green chillies, slit - 2-3
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Cashews - 6-7
Ginger - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Bengal gram - 1 tsp
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves, chopped coarsely - 6-8
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp - for garnishing
Coriander leaves - for garnishing 

Method:
Clean and shred the cabbage and keep aside.
Cut the onions and slice the green chillies. Keep aside.
Clean the coriander bunch.
Soak the cashews in hot water for 10 minutes.
Grind the coriander leaves, cashwe, ginger and salt into a thick paste using very little water.
Cook the rice separately and allow it to cool down. Add a tsp of oil to rice, to keep the rice grains separate, and avoid clumping as the rice cools down.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add mustard, urad dal and bengal gram.
When the dal turns golden brown and the mustard starts to splutter, add the onions, chillies and garam masala. Fry for a few minutes.
Add the shredded cabbage and fry until the cabbage feels soft and cooked.
At this stage add the ground coriander paste.
Keep frying until a nice aroma comes.
Finally add the cooked rice and gently mix until the cabbage mix and the rice are well combined. 
Verdict: For those who do not like cabbage, this rice is a pleasant surprise. It is very tasty with none of the pungent taste or odour of the cabbage. My mom avoids cooking cabbage until the last possible day, when there are either no other vegetables left or when the cabbage will go bad if left in the refrigerator. But to prepare this rice, she is more than willing to pick up the cabbage from the fridge :)
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