Indian & South Asian · Lunch · Dinner
Cabbage Thoran
കാബേജ് തോരൻ (Cabbage Thoran)
Finely shredded cabbage stir-fried with popping mustard seeds and curry leaves, then tossed with a fragrant crush of fresh coconut, green chilli and turmeric. It is a light, bright Kerala side dish that goes with rice and curry or works as a warm salad.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 35% · Fat 57% · Protein 8%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 small head (about 6 cups shredded)500 gGreen cabbage, finely shredded
- 2/3 cup60 gFresh grated coconut (or frozen, thawed)
- 4 small40 gShallots, finely chopped
- 210 gGreen chillies
- 2 cloves6 gGarlic
- 1/2 tspGround turmeric
- 1/2 tspCumin seeds
- 1 tbsp14 gCoconut oil
- 1 tspBlack mustard seeds
- 1 tspSplit urad dal (optional)
- 1Dried red chilli, broken in half (optional)
- 2 sprigs (about 15 leaves)Fresh curry leaves
- 3/4 tsp5 gSalt
- 2 tbsp30 gWater
Steps
- 1
Shred the cabbage very finely and chop the shallots.
- 2
Put the coconut, green chillies, garlic, turmeric and cumin seeds in a small blender or mortar and pulse to a coarse, crumbly mix without adding water. Set aside.
- 3
Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan or wok over medium-high heat.
- 4
Add the mustard seeds and wait until they pop, about 30 seconds.
- 5
Add the urad dal, if using, and stir until light golden, about 30 seconds.
- 6
Add the dried red chilli, if using, and the curry leaves, and stir for a few seconds until they crackle.
- 7
Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until soft.
- 8
Add the cabbage and salt and toss well to coat in the spices.
- 9
Sprinkle in the water, cover and cook on medium-low for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once, until the cabbage is just tender.
- 10
Make a well in the centre, add the coconut mixture, cover it with the cabbage and leave covered for 2 minutes to steam.
- 11
Uncover, toss everything together and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until any liquid has dried off. Taste for salt and serve warm.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use unsweetened desiccated coconut soaked in a little warm water for 10 minutes if you can't find fresh or frozen grated coconut.
- Swap the shallots for half a small red onion, finely chopped.
- Replace the green cabbage with finely shredded carrots, green beans or a mix of cabbage and carrot for a different thoran.
- If you can't find split urad dal, simply leave it out; the dish still works with just mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating in a pan or microwave until steaming hot. It is best fresh while the cabbage is still slightly crisp, and freezing is not recommended because the cabbage turns watery.
Make ahead
Shred the cabbage and chop the shallots up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. The coconut, chilli, garlic and spice mix can also be ground a day ahead and refrigerated in a sealed container.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Mustard
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (168 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 132 kcal | 79 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.5 g | 7.4 g |
| of which sugars | 5.9 g | 3.5 g |
| Fiber | 5.1 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 9 g | 5.4 g |
| of which saturated | 7.4 g | 4.4 g |
| Sodium | 465 mg | 277 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
