GUJARATI CABBAGE

The smell of curry leaf is utterly intoxicating to me.  I always look for Indian recipes that include curry leaf.  I life to smell it before I put it in the frying pan and then as it is cooking I like to inhale the aroma as it heats up.  So good.

I love having my curry plant too.  To go over to the plant and pluck off the leaves I need is ultimately satisfying.  If you are unfamiliar with curry leaf- it is an herb used in Indian cooking.  It is NOT what curry powder is made of.  Matter of fact it is not even one of the ingredients in curry powder.  At least not here in the USA.  If you would like to see the plant, click here.

I saw this recipe on Saveur.  It looked really fabulous and since I had the ingredients on hand (or was going to buy at our market that day) it was a must do!

Delicious.

Really, Indian food is all about stir fry of vegetables with fragrant aromatics.  I haven't met a vegetable yet that hasn't been enhanced by the aromatics of Indian cooking.  Though I have not always been a fan of fenugreek, the taste is growing on me.

Gujarati Cabbage
largely adapted from this recipe at Saveur

8 cups green cabbage, cored 
and shredded, I used cone cabbage and Savoy

Kosher salt, to taste

2 tablespoon peanut oil

2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. asafetida

2 tsp. cumin seeds

10 fresh curry leaves

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

3 Italian frying peppers, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced


5 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro


1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. sugar

Toss cabbage and salt in a bowl. Let wilt for 1 hour. Squeeze excess liquid from cabbage; set aside. 

In a frying pan saute mustard seeds, asafetida, cumin, and curry leaves; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add cabbage, turmeric, tomatoes, peppers, and serrano; cook, stirring, until cabbage is crisp-tender, 6–7 minutes. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and sugar. Season with salt; cook 5 minutes more.