Cabbage Usili

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Cabbage with crumbled lentils, Muttaikose Paruppu Usili)

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Usili is a popular Brahmin recipe that is made mainly with vegetables like cluster beans and banana flower. Both of these recipes I have already shared. Today I will be sharing the same recipe with cabbage which may not be common but tastes delicious. As with all usili preparations, Cabbage Usili also has a crunchy texture. In my family everyone loves usili, so I make it whenever I get a chance. Kids would eat the vegetable added without much fuss. 

Cabbage is one vegetable that is available throughout the year. Most people buy this often. I prepare different varieties of side dishes with cabbage so that we don't get bored of eating cabbage. If you are also looking for something different to prepare with cabbage, do give this Cabbage Usili a try.

Recipe For Cabbage Paruppu Usili

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes soaking
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Cabbage - 1/2 (about 2 cups chopped) 
• Channa dal (Kadalai Paruppu, Bengal Gram Dal) - 1/4 cup
• Tur dal (Tuvaram Paruppu, Red Lentils) - 1/4 cup
• Dried Red chilies - 3
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For Seasoning

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring

Method

1. Wash both the dals and soak it. You could use only channa dal too. Keep it soaked for at least half an hour.
2. Grind it coarsely along with red chilies, asafoetida, fennel seeds and salt. 

   

3. Take small portions out of the ground dal mixture in a idli plate and steam for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast it in the kadai over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes with constant stirring till it crumbles up.

   

4. After steaming, let it cool. Crumble it with your fingers or using a mixie.

   

5. Chop 1/2 of a medium sized cabbage into small shreds.
6. Cook it in a kadai with some salt and a sprinkle of water. You can also microwave it for about 5 minutes till it becomes tender.
7. Heat oil in another kadai, pop the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
8. Add the crumbled dal and roast it for a few minutes. Next, add the cooked cabbage and mix everything together.
9. Cook for couple of minutes for the flavours to blend. Tasty cabbage usili is ready to enjoy.

Serving Cabbage Usili

• This cabbage parupu usili can be served with white rice and some curry. It goes well with curries which have no lentils like mor curry, rasam, kaara kulambu, vattral kulambu or puli kulambu.
• This can also be enjoyed as a side for chapatti or as a salad.

More Cabbage Recipes

Cabbage Bhurjee	Kala Channa Cabbage Sabzi	Cabbage (Patha Gobi) Roti	4C Soup
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