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    Home » Recipes » Vegetables

    Indian Cabbage Stir Fry with Coconut (Kerala-Style)

    Published: Jan 28, 2020 · Modified: May 23, 2022 by Alonna

    Celebrating new popularity, our beloved cabbage is perfect when infusing its healthy crunch with coconut and a few spices. Something simple, quick, and a welcome change for your weeknight dinners. 
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Served in a pretty red bowl garnished with fried curry leaves.
    Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Served in a pretty red bowl garnished with fried curry leaves.
    Celebrating new popularity, our unappreciated cabbage is perfect when infusing its healthy crunch with coconut and a few spices. Something simple, quick, and a welcome change for your weeknight dinners.

    Hearty and Comforting

    Thoran is the name for a hearty, comforting dry vegetable dish. Indian soul food from South India and made with coconut, this cabbage stir-fry is especially popular in Kerala, a western coastal state. It is quick and easy to make and mildly spiced so that the vegetable flavors shine through. While most often made with cabbage, this formula is great with carrots, beets, cauliflower rice, mushrooms, string beans, spinach, mooringa (drum stick leaves), or a mix of vegetables. What you use depends on what you like and what you have on hand.

    Simple but seemingly more than the sum of its parts, even your reluctant cabbage eaters will love this dish. The combination of mustard seeds, coconut, and curry leaves, if you have them, is magical. If you don’t have access to fresh curry leaves, add a teaspoon of lime zest, and while not the same flavor, it makes a perfect stand-in. And for heaven’s sake, don’t tell your diners that this is a healthy dish; it might spoil it.

    Kerala Thoran

    Contrary to the directions I've read over and over that the cabbage should be finely chopped, I have enjoyed this recipe using store-bought cabbage slaw. Lazy, I know, but I like the uneven cuts that give you a mix of softer bits and others with more crunch. And when it comes to the coconut you should use, even though I have freshly grated coconut in my freezer at all times, I most often use the dry or desiccated coconut. It works well and is a useful shortcut without sacrificing texture or flavor.

    Happy cooking!

    ~ Alonna

    See the Notes below before you cook.

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    Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Served in a pretty red bowl garnished with fried curry leaves.

    Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran)

    Celebrating new popularity, our beloved cabbage is perfect when infusing its healthy crunch with coconut and a few spices. Something simple, quick, and a welcome change for your weeknight dinners. 
    Print Pin Comment
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    0 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: Alonna

    Ingrediants

    • 2 cups green or red cabbage ~ Finely shredded
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea or table salt ~ About
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil ~ Divided, or oil of your choice
    • 1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds ~ Yellow will work too
    • 10 curry leaves ~ Or a sprig; about
    • big pinch of asafetida (hing) ~ Optional
    • 1/2 cup onions ~ Finely chopped
    • 1 small Indian green chilies ~ More to taste, about
    • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut ~ Or freshly grated added at different times
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri ground red chili ~ More to taste
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Gather all your ingredients.
      Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) All ingredients gathered.
    • Cook the mustard seeds over medium-high heat. After they start spluttering, turn the heat down to medium, then add the curry leaves and asafetida (hing) if using.
      Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Sizzling of the curry leaves and mustard seeds.
    • Cook the onions until softened, then add the green chili, desiccated coconut (if using fresh coconut, add at the end), turmeric, cumin, and ground Kashmiri chili. Stir for several minutes, adding more oil or water in 1 T increments, if needed.
      Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Adding the spice to the cooked onion and curry leaves.
    • Cook the cabbage over low heat with 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir for a 1 minute, then cover. Stirring occasionally, cook for 7 to 10 minutes until wilted but still with some texture. Remove the lid and sauté until any moisture drys off. Add the coconut now, if using fresh coconut, and cook for a minute to heat through.
    • Serve with steamed rice or as a perfect side to any curry.
      Cabbage Stir-Fry (Kerala Thoran) Served in a pretty red bowl garnished with fried curry leaves.

    Notes

    • One of the tricks of this dish is to not overcook the cabbage.
    • Shortcut: If I had an Indian Aunty they would be horrified at the suggestion, but I am going to go there anyway: if you want to buy shredded cabbage, go for it. It won't be uniformly shredded or as thin as you might cut it. Resulting in a variety of textures you may find pleasing.
    • If using fresh coconut, add it at the end. Desiccated coconut needs the benefit of a longer cook time.
    • Feel free to make this cabbage stir-fry spicier by adding more dried red chili and/or green chiles.
    • If you are avoiding onions, add another good pinch of asafetida with the curry leaves.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 172IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Alonna Smith owner of My Indian Stove dot com
    Alonna Smith, Publisher (and chef!)

    As an adventurous and accomplished home cook, I am having the time of my life, cooking through the many regions of India, learning different cooking methods, and the many ways of using spices, pulses, and creating unforgettable food, if I may say so myself.

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