As much as we all love a saag aloo or channa masala; the repertoire for Indian side dishes doesn't quite stop there. I recently finished my summer workshops on Indian cooking and one thing I was keen to cover was an array of amazing side dishes that foodies could replicate at home. There are a lot to choose from and frankly all delicious, flavourful and typical in terms of ingredients depending on the region they originate from. No indian meal is complete without them and a good tip while entertaining with friends is to have a few sides dishes dotted through the feast. This offers variety in the meal but also by Indian standards makes the meal celebratory where everyone tucks into a little of everything. The Indian side dish repertoire is massive and includes dal, vegetables, pappads (or poppadums as they are commonly known); Indian breads, chutneys and pickles; each offering texture and flavour to the meal and making the overall experience a communal affair.
'Thoran' a south indian dry vegetable dish is commonly eaten with rice in India. You can use almost any vegetable in this dish in keeping with the basic recipe of a thoran. In essence firm vegetables work better retaining shape and texture in the final dish tossed through spices & freshly grated coconut. Cabbage thoran is probably one of the most popular of the lot and that's primarily because of its relative affordability amidst constant changes in food inflation in India. The key to cooking the cabbage is to retain its crunch and still soak up all the spicy notes in the dish. I have also added potato to the dish to make it a tad bit heartier. It's the sort of dish for me that's a perfect 'meal for one' with flaky paratha and lashings of yoghurt in tow.
Ingredients
150gms new potatoes peeled and halved
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
5-7 curry leaves
1 green chilli slit lengthwise
1 tsp urad dal split & skinned variety
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 small cabbage finely shredded
30gms grated coconut (frozen grated variety is available in a lot of Asian stores)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan or wok and add the potatoes cubes frying them over medium heat. Cook the cubes for 12-15 minutes until light brown all over. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside sprinkled with a pinch of salt.
Put the wok back on the hob and add the remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and the slit green chilli letting them pop & splutter in the oil releasing their flavour. Now add the urad dal stirring for a few seconds as it changes colour slightly. Tip in the turmeric powder stirring for a couple of seconds followed by the shredded cabbage. Stir well making sure to coat the cabbage with all the spices. Season to taste and mix well. Cover and cook for a further 2 minutes.
The cabbage should be cooked and still retain a slight bite.
Turn the heat off and mix in the fried potatoes, grated coconut and chopped coriander. Serve warm with your choice of bread or rice.