Cabbage is a vegetable that really needs to hire a new publicist and launch a remarketing campaign, because it undeservedly has such a bad rap. I think it probably conjures up visions of a bland, boiled green pile alongside a slab of meat circa 1950. But personally, I love cabbage for its value (it might be the only thing in a New York City grocery store that I can buy for under two dollars), its staying power in my refrigerator, and its infinite cooking possibilities.
If you aren’t familiar with Nepalese food, that’s not surprising, but you really, really should be. Having spent six months in Nepal after graduating college, I grew to absolutely love the food, and ate it three times a day with gusto. I still crave the flavors. Nepal is a small, mountainous country tucked between India and China (well, really Tibet), and the cuisine is an interesting and distinct blend of both its neighbors’. The predominant spices (cumin, coriander, chiles, fenugreek, turmeric, garlic and ginger) are the same you might find in Indian food, but the resulting curries and stir-fries are less heavy and a little brighter than the tikka masalas you know and love. Tibetan and southern Chinese noodle dishes and dumplings are also Nepalese favorites.
The beauty of this stir-fried cabbage dish, and many others in Jyoti Pathak’s Taste of Nepal, is that once you have the five or six spices you need (and you may already have them if you like to cook Indian or other south Asian food), it’s a breeze to put together. The only fresh ingredients it requires are a cabbage, garlic and ginger, but the finished product is so much more complex than that.
I love cooking cabbage to the point when it just begins to get sweet and caramelized but still has a good crunch, and this dish provides just that. I’d recommend either using a wok or a large Dutch oven to cook this- you want your cabbage to have a chance to brown, not just steam. I love to eat this with either basmati rice or a paratha-style bread (which I often freeze to make weeknight meals like this even easier). It would also be tasty as a side to a meat dish, or served with your favorite Indian dal.
This is a perfect meal to welcome you to the cooking of Nepal since it captures the flavors so well and is pretty foolproof to prepare. If you live in New York City, I’d encourage you to explore the cuisine further- there are a handful of restaurants in Jackson Heights (Thakali Kitchen being my personal favorite) that make you feel like Kathmandu is right outside.
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage, shredded 1/4 inch thick (10 cups)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 dried red chili, halved and seeded
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 fenugreek seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Small pinch of ground asafetida
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the cabbage, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the dried chili, cumin and fenugreek and fry until dark brown and fragrant, about 5 seconds.
- Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper and asafetida and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add the cabbage and salt, and cook uncovered, stirring frequently until the liquid evaporates and the cabbage is tender but still crunchy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a serving dish and serve.
Notes
From Taste of Nepal
