Delicious Cabbage Thoran: Kerala-Style Cabbage Stir Fry

If you've ever been to Kerala, you most probably enjoyed a feast of multiple dishes served on a massive banana leaf.

The dishes that are usually served are steamed rice, some yogurt based-curry, sambar, Indian pickle, beans, papadoms, a dessert, and of course cabbage thoran.

As my in-laws are from Kerala, I got to enjoy thoran quite a bit, although my mother-in-law tends to prepare it with French beans [green beans] most of the time.

This flavorful cabbage fry must be one of my favorites to make, and it is something I whip up when I have very little sambar left or really fancy a Sadya-style meal - which normally has up to 24-28 dishes, and is served during Onam celebrations [although I don't attempt 20+ dishes in one go!].

This is the quickest and most delicious way of preparing cabbage thoran. After draining the excess water from the shredded cabbage, mix all the ingredients, prepare a simple tadka, and stir fry the cabbage coconut mixture. That's all!

What to serve it with? Try this Kerala Fish Curry or a little Beef Fry!

Cabbage Thoran Ingredients

• Cabbage: A regular green cabbage, also called white cabbage, will work best.
• Onion or Shallots: Depending on what is available, onions, pearl onions, or shallots will all work well, although regular onions tend to be a bit stronger.
• Green Chilies: This is the only spicy ingredient, so adjust to taste. For a very mild thoran, green chilies can be skipped.
• Turmeric Powder: The only ground spice in the whole recipe - it is an essential ingredient and can't be substituted.
• Fresh Grated Coconut: Freshly grated or frozen coconut are the two best options for this recipe, with the latter available in most Indian or Asian grocery stores. Desiccated coconut may be used too, although it needs to be rehydrated for 2 hours in coconut milk or water, and the end result won't be the same.
• Ginger, Garlic, and Curry Leaves: These ingredients can't be skipped and are better either fresh or frozen. Dry curry leaves don't have the same taste and aroma.
• Coconut Oil: This is a very important ingredient in South Indian food. Should you not have it, use an unflavored oil instead, such as sunflower or canola.
• Urad Dal, Mustard Seeds, Dried Red Chilies: These are used in the tempering [tadka] to add flavor. The red chilies can be skipped if you'd like a mildly spiced thoran, while the dal can be skipped or swapped for chana, although urad is the better option as it is smaller. Brown or black mustard seeds can be used. Some add cumin seeds or other whole spices, however, I personally prefer this recipe without.

How To Make Cabbage Thoran?

Prepare The Cabbage

1. Remove the external leaves, if damaged, and rinse the cabbage.
2. Cut the cabbage into slices that are comfortable to hold in your hand, and grate using the largest shredding holes on your grater until you reach the core of the cabbage; using this method, you will have almost no wastage. You can also shred the cabbage using a food processor.
3. Place all the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add a teaspoon of salt per pound [450g] of cabbage; mix well and allow the cabbage to rest for about 20 minutes. This will allow the vegetables to release the excess water, helping make the stir fry crisp and dry.
4. Once the cabbage has rested, it is time to eliminate the excess water. Take a handful of the shredded veggies in your hand and squeeze over the sink; a lot of water will be eliminated. Place the finely shredded cabbage that has been drained of the excess water in a separate bowl, and proceed to do the same to the whole bowl.
5. Your cooking cabbage is now ready!

Prepare The Mix

1. To the shredded cabbage, add turmeric powder, chopped green chilies thinly chopped onions [pearl onions or shallots], fresh ginger, and garlic. Mix well all the ingredients using your hands for the best result.
2. Next, add the fresh coconut to the cabbage mixture, and mix well using your hands once more. If using frozen, allow the shredded coconut to reach room temperature before using it.

Prepare The Thoran

1. In a wide heavy-bottomed pan add the coconut oil and heat up on medium heat.
2. Once the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds, and after 10-15 seconds they have been popping, add the urad dal, and after a further 20-30 seconds, add the dried red chilies.
3. As soon as you add the dried chilies, increase the flame to medium-high.
4. After 20-30 more seconds, it is time to start adding the coconut and chopped cabbage mixture to the pan. Add a few handfuls at a time, give a quick mix, and add more, until everything has been added to the pan.
5. Keep the flame on medium-high and frequently mix the cabbage thoran, as you want it to stir fry.
6. After about 5 minutes, taste for salt, adjust if necessary and add curry leaves.
7. Let the cabbage cook till your desired consistency [depending on preference, it will take between 3 and 10 minutes more], and, once ready, don't cover it with a lid, as the cabbage thoran may become soggy.
8. Serve cabbage thoran hot or room temperature with steamed rice or flatbreads, such as roti.

People Also Ask [FAQs]

How to store cabbage thoran?

• In the fridge: Cabbage thoran can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
• In the freezer: This cabbage fry can be frozen for up to three months. To reheat, allow the cabbage to defrost in the fridge overnight, then sautee in a frying pan with a little coconut oil until hot.

Tips & Tricks For Cabbage Thoran Recipe

• Excess Water: This dish is a simple stir fry with a cooking time of a handful of minutes. To ensure the cabbage thoran is dry, it is important that the finely shredded cabbage is allowed to rest in salt for at least 15-20 minutes, as this will allow you to squeeze out most of the unwanted water. Water-rich cabbage makes it hard to stir fry the dish, as the liquid is released in the pan.
• Heat: This is not a dish to cook on a low flame and you mustn't add the ingredients until you heat oil thoroughly. You want to splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, and dried red chili quickly, so you can move on to add the shredded cabbage and coconut mixture and cook it fast, without steaming or simmering in its own liquid. Cooking on low heat and stirring occasionally will keep the steam in the dish, which is what stir-fried dishes don't want.
• Wide Heavy Bottomed Pan: Although the cabbage will lose a lot of its volume once cooked, using a pan with a wide bottom will help stir fry the vegetables better. Smaller pans will keep the moisture and steam in between the vegetables, making them 'boil' rather than fry.
• Vegetable Dish: You can follow the same recipe and use lightly steamed French beans instead of cabbage, or, you could add a few shredded carrots to this cabbage thoran recipe.
• Spiciness: The only hot ingredient in cabbage thoran are the green chillies, so you can increase or omit the ingredient to your preference.
• Fresh Curry Leaves: This quick dish really benefits from the use of fresh or freshly frozen curry leaves, as their flavor is much brighter compared to dry ones. This is a key ingredient in Kerala cuisine, so if possible get a fresh bunch and freeze any leftovers! [The same applies to the coconut!]
• Serve Cabbage Thoran With: Roti, steamed rice, and parathas, and use it as a side dish or increase your portion for a main course. Jay and I mostly eat it with Sambar, rice, yogurt, papadom, and pickle, or with rotis, dry potato curry, and pickle [of course!].

This simple recipe requires very few key ingredients for maximum taste and it is the ideal side dish to serve during a feast. It is the ultimate comfort food!

If you are looking for an easy recipe that really makes an impact, this is it, and with cabbage being such an affordable ingredient, there's no surprise that once this is cooked and enjoyed, you will want to make it time and again!

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