In this spicy cabbage masala, the not-so-popular cabbage gets a spicy make-over with my Indian spices. This special spicy cabbage masala will not be boring to anyone!
I don’t think cabbage could be anyone’s favorite vegetable. I know. At least not until you taste this curried cabbage or my spicy cabbage masala! It is that white colored, boring looking vegetable which doesn’t look promising from any angle.
It can only serve as a filler for stir-fry noodles or rice or the best of cabbage would be the coleslaw right?
Hold on to your conclusion until you try my Indian spiced cabbage masala! I bet this spicy cabbage masala will change your opinion towards this innocent vegetable.
Even though I haven’t recovered from the flu yet and the only thing that is giving me comfort from the past 3 days is that super-hot bowl of chicken soup, I could not wait longer to share this cabbage masala recipe.
This recipe of curried cabbage is a part of our regular meals which is why I do not have to think a lot before writing down the recipe.
Hence I can manage it even with a soar throat and heavy head. Cabbage quite a regular vegetable in almost all Indian household, so I am sure each one of them has their own version of spicy cabbage masala! Today I am sharing mine which I think you will love a lot.
But why this cabbage masala today? That’s because this tasty cabbage recipe had been missed for a long time for some unknown reason.
Now it is high time that I give it its deserving position before it’s too late. The best part of this cabbage masala recipe is that it is not complicated at all.
You can look at it as a stir-fry recipe with Indian spices. The Indian spices used here are also very basic – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala – I mean, which Indian curry doesn’t have that!
Additionally, you won’t need to babysit this cabbage masala recipe while it’s cooking. Once you tip in the shredded cabbage into the hot oil with all the spices, let it cook on its own.
It would be done when the cabbage turns totally soft and somewhat mushy.
It is a dry dish, so don’t forget to boil off all the excess water which may ooze out during the cooking process. Just a bit of patience and you reward yourself with a wholesome meal!
You can also throw in some chunky vegetables like cubes of carrots or potatoes for an added crunch to your cabbage masala. Do try it!
- Shredded Cabbage – 6 cups, firmly packed
- Vegetable oil – 4 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Asafetida – 1 pinch
- Garlic – 6 to 8 cloves, finely chopped
- Onion – 1, large, sliced
- Garam masala – 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Tomato – 1, large, chopped
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander leaves – ½ cup, chopped
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok/skillet and add the asafetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chopped garlic. Saute it for a minute until the whole spices become fragrant and the garlic is lightly browned.
- Then add the sliced onion and cook it till it becomes soft and translucent.
- Next add the powdered spices – turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Add a splash of water and saute the spices for 2 minutes until the oil re-surfaces.
- Then add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add the sugar, cover and cook until the tomatoes are totally soft.
- Add the shredded cabbage and salt. Mix everything well and cook covered on low heat till the cabbage is soft and cooked through. This will take about half an hour to 45 minutes.
- When you feel the cabbage is all done, boil off any excess water. Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and serve the spicy cabbage masala with plain white rice or phulka! Enjoy!
Follow up: this cabbage masala freezes and reheats very well. Now this recipe is elevated from great to excellent!
Aw that’s awesome!! Thanks for being so kind to let me know! Have a great day!
I am very pleased with this cabbage masala recipe as written. Prep was not complicated and fast. The right amount of spices to make my nose run and fill the house with a heavenly aroma.
Thank You for sharing!—Davidp
Thank you so much for your kind comment! So happy to know you liked it! 🙂
Looking forward to making this cabbage curry recipe.
I LOVE cabbage and curry. This recipe is definitely something I need to make 🙂 Thanks for sharing it! PS…Your photos are AMAZING!
I don’t know why cabbage has such a bad reputation or why folk diss it so badly, including the introduction in this article. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables, I have always jazzed it up, onion, ginger, chillies, garlic, chillies, cummin, turmeric, bacon, tomatoes, you can have any combination of these and other ingredients, eg cream with the bacon and tomatoes, caraway, dill pickle, I like to add well fried onions on top, sweetened, savoury, etc etc, just use your imaginations!!!
Have tried this recipe and it is ok.
Cooked this today.. Nice recipe.. Thank u 🙂
I am glad you liked it! Do try other recipes too and let me know! 🙂