Kerala
Kerala Cabbage Fry
- Duration: 25 minutes
- Serves: 6 people
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Spice Level: Low
Authenticity Slice
The cabbage in Thoran needs to be crisper and is, therefore, stir fried on high flame. Also, a typical Thoran must retain the fresh green colour of the vegetable. This is why haldi is not used in this recipe.
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Trivia Tadka
Thoran is popular with Keralites across the state and is cooked in a variety of ways. Though a variety of vegetables such as carrot, beetroot, long beans, spinach, jackfruit, raw papaya and onion are used in the dish, it is the Cabbage Thoran that is considered to be the purest, most indigenous form of the dish. It’s the heart of an authentic Kerala platter.
Ingredients
- Cabbage (Patta gobhi) (1)
- Onion, thinly sliced (1)
- Coconut (fresh), grated (¼ cup)
- Coconut oil (1 tbsp)
- Black mustard seeds (Rai) (¼ tsp)
- Black gram (Urad dal) (½ tsp)
- Green chillies (Hari mirch), slit (2)
- Whole red chillies (Sabut lal mirch), broken (1)
- Curry leaves (Kadipatta) (6-7)
- Salt (to taste)
Method
- Peel off the outer layer of the patta gobhi and discard. Chop the rest of it into fine, long strands.
- Wash thoroughly in a sieve and let the excess water drain out—leave the patta gobhi in the sieve for a couple of hours.
- In a pan, heat the oil and add urad dal and rai to it. When the rai splutters, add the sabut lal mirch, slit hari mirch, and kadipatta.
- Once the kadipatta begins to wither, giving off an aroma, after about 10 seconds add the onions.
- Stir-fry till the onions turn translucent and add the patta gobhi to the pan.
- Mix well and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes till the water residue evaporates.
- Lower the flame and cover the pan. Let it cook for just 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the patta gobhi is half-cooked, add salt to taste.
- Cook on high flame for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Check to see if it has cooked through.
- Turn off the gas, add the grated coconut to the dish and mix well. Serve with hot rice and sambar.
