South India has myriad methods through which it makes use of lentils and greens, identical to the remainder of India. Additionally, every area in South India has its personal manner of making ready dishes with dals and veggies being the hero ingredient in them. One such preparation is the kootu, which is usually a lentil dish with any vegetable, coconut, herbs and spices. This Cabbage Kootu is a scrumptious variation made with cabbage, moong lentils, coconut and spices.
What’s Kootu
Name it ‘Kootu Curry,’ ‘kootukari’ or ‘kootu,’ this conventional dish from the South Indian delicacies merely means a thick vegetable and lentil/legume curry. When actually translated, ‘kootu’ means ‘a mix/combine.’
Therefore, a typical kootu recipe would primarily imply a mixture of veggies, legumes or lentils simmered in a frivolously spiced coconut gravy. Kootu is a basic dish which is part of many spiritual festivals and in addition particular events like weddings, and many others.
The greens vary from cauliflower, cabbage, inexperienced beans to uncooked banana, elephant foot yam to White Pumpkin, yellow pumpkin, bottle gourd, snake gourd, chow chow. Numerous combine greens, leafy greens are additionally most popular to make kootu.
The lentils and legumes like black chickpeas, black eyed beans, chana dal, tur dal, moong dal, and many others are some varieties which are generally included. One of many variant is that this Cabbage Kootu made with yellow moong lentils and cabbage.
I want to make this lentil dish in coconut oil, however be happy to make use of every other impartial oil. Together with this, different staple regional components which are added in a kootu are recent coconut, curry leaves and mustard seeds. The flavour profile of this dish is in direction of the non-spicy bit, typically faintly candy too.
About Cabbage Kootu
This Cabbage Kootu, which additionally has a floor coconut paste and spices, is of thick consistency. Identical to a kootu is meant to be. I cook dinner each the cabbage and the dal collectively, however you may cook dinner them individually as nicely. You may cook dinner each these in a stress cooker with simply 1.5 cups of water.
I put together the Cabbage Kootu with moong lentils. Nevertheless, you should use tur dal (pigeon pea lentils) or half-half each of moong dal and tur dal as nicely. I might additionally point out that the style of cabbage on this dal isn’t that outstanding.
Cabbage Kootu is a vegan recipe since all of the components utilized in making ready this dish are plant-based. Along with this, one other combine greens and lentil curry recipe that’s frequent at my house is that this Poricha Kuzhambu.
This recipe of Tamil Nadu model Cabbage Kootu is sort of straightforward. You may cook dinner the lentils and cabbage collectively in a pot on the stovetop (like on this recipe), On the spot Pot or a stovetop stress cooker. It tastes superb with a fundamental steamed rice, a facet of some veggie stir fry/roast, a pickle and a few papadums.
Step-by-Step Information
The way to make Cabbage Kootu
Prepare dinner Cabbage and Moong Dal
1. Rinse ½ cup moong dal a few instances in water. Then, add the lentils in a thick bottomed pot or pan.
2. Subsequent, add 2 to 2.5 cups chopped cabbage. Additionally, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
3. Pour 2 to 2.25 cups water.
4. Place the pan on a stovetop. Cowl it with a lid.
5. Simmer on medium or medium-low warmth until each the moong dal and cabbage are cooked.
For those who want, cook dinner the moong dal and cabbage in a 3 litre stovetop stress cooker with 1.5 cups water on medium warmth for 3 to 4 whistles. When the stress falls naturally within the cooker, then solely open the lid.
When you’ve got on the spot pot, cook dinner the lentils and cabbage with 1.5 cups water on handbook mode on excessive stress for about 10 minutes. After the stress cooking is full, let the stress drop naturally – about 20 minutes after which open the lid.
6. Test and stir at intervals, whereas the cabbage and moong lentils are cooking. If required, you may add extra water.
Make Coconut Paste
7. Take ¼ cup grated recent coconut, 1 to 2 chopped inexperienced chilies (½ to 1 teaspoon chopped) and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a chutney grinder jar.
Add 2 to three tablespoons water. To make the kootu style spicier, add 3 to 4 inexperienced chilies.
8. Grind to a easy and wonderful paste. Cowl and maintain apart.
Make Cabbage Kootu
9. The moong lentils should be softened nicely and develop into mushy. Mash the moong lentils with a spoon. There shouldn’t be any individually seen moong dal.
Cooking moong dal and cabbage takes about 40 to 45 minutes on medium-low warmth in a pan on the stovetop.
10. Now, add the ready coconut paste.
11. Season with salt.
12. Combine very nicely. Add some water at this step, if the dal appears to be like very thick.
13. Simmer on low warmth for 4 to five minutes. Stir at intervals in order that the dal doesn’t persist with the underside of the pan.
14. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons rice flour throughout. Rice flour is non-compulsory and you may skip if you would like. It’s used for thickening.
15. Combine very nicely and cook dinner the kootu for five to six minutes or until the dal involves a mild boil.
Stir whereas dal is cooking, in order that the lentils don’t persist with the bottom of the pan. Swap off the warmth and canopy the pan.
Mood Cabbage Kootu
16. In a small frying pan, warmth 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Preserve the warmth to a low. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon urad dal.
As an alternative of coconut oil, you too can use sesame oil (gingelly oil), peanut oil or sunflower oil.
17. Fry stirring usually till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden.
18. Then, add 10 to 12 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Stir and swap off the warmth.
19. Pour the tempering with the oil within the Cabbage Kootu. Cowl the pan for five minutes in order that the tempering flavors infuse within the kootu.
20. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and blend nicely. Coriander leaves are non-compulsory and you may skip in case you do not need.
21. Serve Cabbage Kootu sizzling with steamed rice.
Professional Suggestions
- For the perfect taste and style, ideally make the cabbage kootu with unpolished moong dal. Guarantee that the mung lentils are inside their shelf life and never outdated.
- As an alternative of inexperienced cabbage, this recipe will also be made with purple cabbage.
- Prepare dinner the moong dal until it’s properly softened and turns into mushy. The lentil grains shouldn’t be individually seen.
- This recipe has the usage of rice flour in it to thicken the curry. You may skip it, if you would like.
- To make the tempering, you too can use sesame oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil rather than coconut oil.
- Garnishing may be accomplished with some chopped coriander leaves. If it’s not there at your house, don’t add it.
Extra South Indian Lentil Varieties To Strive!
Chickpeas Recipes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
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Cabbage Kootu Recipe (Cabbage Dal)
Cabbage Kootu is a tasty Tamil Nadu model Cabbage Dal made with cabbage, moong lentils in a base of floor coconut and spices. Serve with steamed rice for a comforting meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Prepare dinner Time 20 minutes
Complete Time 40 minutes
For cooking cabbage and moong dal
Forestall your display screen from going darkish whereas making the recipe
Making cabbage kootu
Rinse ½ cup moong dal a few instances in water. Then add the lentils in a thick bottomed pot or pan.
Subsequent add 1 to 2.5 cups chopped cabbage. Additionally add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pair of to 2.25 cups water.
Place the pan on a range high. Cowl it with a lid.
Simmer on a medium or low-medium warmth until each the moong dal and the lentils are cooked.
Do test and stir at intervals, whereas the cabbage and lentils are cooking. If required you may add extra water.
Whereas the cabbage and moong lentils are cooking, you may put together the coconut paste.
Take grated coconut, inexperienced chilies, cumin seeds in a chutney grinder jar. Add 2 to three tablespoons of water for grinding. For spicy style, add 3 to 4 inexperienced chilies.
Grind to a easy and wonderful paste. Cowl and maintain apart.
The moong lentils should be softened nicely and develop into mushy. Mash the moong lentils with a spoon. There shouldn’t be any individually seen moong lentils.
Cooking moong dal and cabbage takes about 40 to 45 minutes on a low warmth.
Now add the bottom coconut paste. Season with salt.
Combine very nicely. Add some water at this level if the dal appears to be like very thick.
Simmer on a low warmth for 4 to five minutes. Do stir at intervals in order that the lentils don’t persist with the underside of the pan.
Sprinkle rice flour throughout. Rice flour is non-compulsory and you may skip if you would like. Rice flour is used for thickening.
Combine very nicely and cook dinner the kootu for five to six minutes until the dal involves a mild boil. Do stir whereas dal is cooking, in order that the lentils don’t persist with the bottom of the pan. Swap off the warmth and canopy the pan.
Tempering kootu
Warmth coconut oil in a small frying pan. Preserve warmth to a low. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon urad dal.
Fry until the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden. Stir usually and fry these for even cooking.
Add 10 to 12 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Stir after which swap off the flame.
Pour the tempered components within the cabbage kootu. Cowl the pan for five minutes in order that the tempering flavours infuse within the kootu.
Then add chopped coriander leaves. Combine nicely. Coriander leaves are non-compulsory and you may skip in case you do not need.
Serve cabbage kootu with steamed rice.
- Ideally use unpolished mung lentils for higher style, taste and diet.
- Regulate the consistency by including much less or extra water.
- As an alternative of coconut oil, you may choose to make use of sesame oil (gingelly oil) or peanut or sunflower oil.
- Simply swap recent coconut with desiccated coconut.
- You would select to cook dinner each moong dal and cabbage in stovetop stress cooker or the On the spot pot.
- For cooking in a stress cooker, add 1.5 cups of water in a 3 litre stress cooker along with the cabbage, moong dal, salt and turmeric powder. Stress cook dinner on medium warmth for 3 to 4 whistles. Let stress drop naturally within the cooker after which solely open the lid. Later comply with the recipe as is.
- If cooking in an On the spot Pot, add 1.5 cups water along with the cabbage, lentils, turmeric powder and salt. Use the handbook mode and stress cook dinner on excessive for 10 minutes. Let the stress launch naturally. As soon as the lentils are cooked nicely, comply with the recipe utilizing the sauté operate as wanted.
Diet Details
Cabbage Kootu Recipe (Cabbage Dal)
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 162 Energy from Fats 54
% Every day Worth*
Fats 6g9%
Saturated Fats 5g31%
Sodium 350mg15%
Potassium 86mg2%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 192IU4%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 29mg145%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 64mg78%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin Ok 27µg26%
Calcium 43mg4%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 310µg78%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 10mg3%
Phosphorus 18mg2%
Zinc 1mg7%
* % Every day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.
This Cabbage Kootu recipe publish from the archives first revealed in November 2016 has been republished and up to date on 23 July 2022.
