GUILT-FREE CABBAGE THOGAYAL

Ingredients:-

• 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 3-4 dried red chilies (or to taste)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp urad daal
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste (or large marble-sized piece of dried tamarind)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• Salt for taste

Method:-

Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan and add the curry leaves, red chilies, urad daal and asafoetida powder. Fry these till the daals are golden brown and the red chilies a darker shade. Remove all the red chilies and most of the daal and curry leaves. Reserve for later.

Add the sliced green cabbage to the pan (adding one spoon oil more if you feel like it), stir well and let it cook on medium heat till the cabbage is soft and wilted. Let the cabbage cool.

Put all the chilies, the tamarind, and all but 1/2 tsp of the daal/curry leaves in a mixer along with some of the cabbage, and grind it to a smooth paste. Now add the rest of the cabbage and grind to a more coarse paste. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp daal/curry leaves and give it all one quick final whirl so that the daal remains mostly whole to provide a bit of crunch. 

Remove to a serving bowl and add salt to taste. Mix well and serve immediately with hot plain rice and ghee and any vegetable dish. This thogayal is also good as a side dish for Dosas, Idlis, etc and makes a great base for sandwiches.