Cabbage is a large and leafy cruciferous vegetable that resembles a head of lettuce. It has a close kinship with brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. There are several varieties of this branch of the brassica family, green, purple, or savoy cabbages are the most popular, yet the plain green variety is the most used simply because it is the easiest to find and available all the time.
Cabbage can be steamed, sautéed, braised, boiled, fried, pickled, fermented, or even consumed raw. It's difficult to choose just one way to eat this delicious vegetable; people generally enjoy any style of cabbage preparation. Here is a list of recipes you can make for dinner using cabbage.
1. Aloo Patta Gobi
In dry vegetable dishes, potatoes and cabbage go well together. You can make this dish without potatoes, with fresh or frozen green peas instead of potatoes, or with both potatoes and green peas. This potato cabbage sabzi pairs well with chapatis and also works well as a side dish with dal and rice.
2. Cabbage Paratha
Cabbage paratha (or Patta Gobi ka Paratha) is a filling whole wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced cabbage. There are two ways to make cabbage paratha. Kneading flour with finely chopped cabbage and spices is one method. This is the simplest way to make cabbage paratha. The second technique involves stuffing the paratha with spiced cabbage stuffing. The parathas taste good either way.
Serve cabbage paratha hot or warm with mango or lemon pickle, yoghurt, or butter on the side. Serve them hot for the tastiest results.
3. Cabbage Thoran
Sometimes a simple stir fry is all you need to brighten your mood and lift your spirits in the most soothing way. This Kerala speciality, Cabbage Thoran, does just that. The Cabbage Thoran has cabbage cooked in coconut oil, tempered with spices and curry leaves, and finished with a generous amount of coconut. It is vegan, quick to prepare, and nutritious.
4. Cabbage Rice
The sweetness of the cabbage complements the aroma of the spices as well as the basmati rice in this cabbage rice recipe, which is not spicy. As an alternative, you can add carrots, capsicum, or cooked green peas. This will make the cabbage rice healthier and more flavorful. Serve this Indian spiced cabbage rice alone or with a simple dal, raita, pickle, or yoghurt.
5. Veg Chilli Milli
Veg Chilli Milli is a spicy and flavourful North Indian vegetable gravy. The heat from the green chillies is felt in this complexly flavoured curry, which also has the tartness of tomatoes and the mild sweetness of cashew paste and onions. The cabbage, carrots, and peas add a slight crunch and sweetness to the overall texture and flavour. This dish is typically made with cabbage, carrots, capsicum (green bell pepper), and green peas (matar). You can, however, use any vegetables you want. The recipe can also include paneer or tofu.
The spicy veg chilli milli is delicious with steamed rice, chapatis, rotis, butter naan, or jeera rice. The combination is so good with rice or rotis that you don't need anything else to go with it.
