An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [67]
In a skillet heat the 3 remaining tablespoons of oil. Add the paste from the blender, the turmeric, and the green chili. Fry, stirring all the time, for 8 to 10 minutes (adding, if necessary, 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time to prevent sticking). When the cabbage has cooked for 30 minutes, add this fried paste mixture, along with the salt, garam masala, and lemon juice. Stir and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
To serve: Serve with parathas, pooris, or chapatis. If serving with rice, serve karhi or dal and a chicken or meat dish like Chicken Cooked with Yogurt or Lamb Korma or Koftas. Plain yogurt or Yogurt with Potatoes would also go well with it.
Cabbage leaves stuffed with potatoes
SERVES 6–8
Cabbage leaves can be stuffed with meat or potatoes. Here is my mother’s recipe for the latter.
5 medium-sized potatoes
7 medium-sized onions
10 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
3½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium-sized head of cabbage
THE STUFFING
Boil the potatoes, then peel and dice them into ¼-inch pieces.
Peel the onions, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice them into fine half-circles.
In a skillet, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, frying, stirring, and separating the rings until the onions are brownish, about 7 or 8 minutes; they should not get crisp.
Add the fennel and cumin seeds and fry another 7 or 8 minutes on lower flame. The onions should look a rich reddish brown now.
Add the diced boiled potatoes to the onion mixture and continue frying. As you fry, mash the potatoes with the back of a slotted spoon or potato masher.
To the potato and onion mixture add the garam masala, 2½ teaspoons salt, cayenne pepper if desired, and lemon juice. Mix it all up and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.
THE CABBAGE
Cut off the hard stem of the cabbage, remove the hard, damaged outer leaves, and wash it. In a pot large enough to hold the whole cabbage, bring to a boil water to which 1 teaspoon salt has been added. Drop the cabbage in (the water should cover at least three-quarters of it), cover, and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Lift cabbage out of boiling water, run under cold water, and carefully remove each leaf, taking care not to break them. Dry. If the inner leaves are still crisp, drop them again in the boiling water until they go limp. Remove and cool under cold water.
Spread out one leaf at a time. Snip out the hard core of the outer leaves with a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears. You can snip to about an inch into the leaf, removing a kind of narrow V. Now place a tablespoon of the stuffing in the center of the leaf and fold the edges over. Put the stuffed leaf on your left palm and with your right palm gently squeeze out any extra moisture. This also helps to keep the stuffed cabbage leaves tightly closed.
In a 10-inch skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Squeeze each stuffed cabbage leaf again between paper towels and put in skillet. Fry, a few pieces at a time, until each piece is browned on all sides. Take care not to let the leaves open. Remove them to a plate. When all the pieces are done, lower the heat, arrange the stuffed cabbage pieces in the skillet in tight layers, add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook on very low flame for 10 to 15 minutes.
To serve: Remove very carefully and serve on large, warm platter. Serve with Cubed Lamb with Onions and Raisins and Rice with Peas or with Karhi, Koftas, and plain boiled rice. This dish is also very good served with hot parathas.
Carrots and peas with ginger and Chinese parsley
SERVES 4–6
A piece of fresh ginger, 2 inches by 1 inch, peeled and coarsely chopped
1½ pounds young, slim carrots
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
5 whole fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
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