Cabbage Thoran

This post is part of Onam and Sadya. The recipe below will make enough to serve 6 - 8 people for a Sadya. Measurements are only approximate.

A "thoran" is a side-dish that is part of an everyday meal in a Kerala household. It is a dry side-dish, usually cooked with crushed coconut, green chilly, turmeric powder and cumin seeds and sometimes other
ingredients like garlic, red chilly or ginger could also find its way into the ingredients list. There are vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties of thoran. Below is the recipe of the most common thoran because it is easily available in any part of the world but should rightly be termed " a foreigner who won the hearts of all Keralites alike".

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• Salt to taste

To coarsely grind

• 1 green chilly
• 1/2 cup of frozen coconut
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• a dash of turmeric

To temper

• 1 tbsp coconut oil/ vegetable oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Method
1. Coarsely grind all ingredients under "to coarsely grind". Mix this well with cabbage and salt and cook on medium flame until cabbage is cooked but does not lose its crunch.
2. In a separate pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds followed by curry leaves and immediately by cooked cabbage. Toss for 30 - 40 secs over medium heat.

Serve hot with rice.