Cabbage

My dear friend, Sunshinemom, is hosting a wonderful event called Food in Colors, and this month's theme is - purple and black! Those aren't common colors in the food universe - okay, maybe purple but definitely not black. But I did find the perfect colors in cabbage and whole urad dal (also known as black gram or black lentil).

We use the beautiful purple cabbage quite a lot in my house. The crunch of the cabbage with the tempered spices is delicious. And the color really takes your breath away.


Here are some cool facts about purple cabbage that I didn't know:

1. The purple color comes from the presence of a phytochemical which acts as an antioxidant, and is said to improve one's memory. This phytochemical is what gives the purple color.

2. Purple cabbage is not as healthy as green cabbage, and should be eaten in moderation!

Now onto the recipe:

Purple Cabbage

1 head Purple Cabbage, cut into thin strips
Salt, to taste
2-3 tbsp Water

Tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp whole urad dal
3-4 curry leaves

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the cabbage, salt and water and toss around a couple of times. Now close the pan and leave it alone for about 5-7 minutes. The salt tends to sweat the cabbage and you'll find this is more than enough water for it to cook.

We like the cabbage really crunchy at home, so I take it off the heat at this point, but if you like it softer, you can add more water or leave it on the stove for a bit longer.

For tempering - heat a skillet with a few teaspoons of oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, remove from heat and add the tempering ingredients to the cooked cabbage.

Serve hot as a side to rice or rotis or as a warm salad.


To know what my marathoners are doing, check out their lovely blogs:
DK, Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi, Sripriya, Viji, Kamalika and Pavani.