Indian Cabbage Patties

Cabbage can sometimes be boring to work with, so here is a recipe which gives a flavorful twist to the otherwise boring cabbage. This is a recipe from coastal India for pan-fried cabbage patties, where coconut is found in abundance. Passed on from my grandmother, this recipe uses fresh Indian spices and ingredients. Serve with Indian rice or naan bread.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 126 Calories

Ingredients

• oil for frying
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 pinch white sugar, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon skinned split black lentils (urad dal)
• 2 dried red chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• ½ cup gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind, or as needed
• 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon asafoetida powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Place chiles in the pan and toast, turning often, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer toasted chiles to a blender.

Step 2

Add coconut, rice flour, gram flour, and tamarind to the blender with the chiles and process to a fine paste. Add a small amount of water if necessary.

Step 3

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over high heat. Add coriander, urad dal, and asafoetida; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Transfer this mixture to the tamarind mixture in the blender. Blend to combine.

Step 4

Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add tamarind-coriander paste. Stir to combine; season with salt and sugar.

Step 5

Heat oil for frying in a large heavy skillet. Spread small portions of cabbage mixture in the hot pan and fry patties until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.