Name: Kobi Chana Dal Bhaji
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 155 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1½ cup Cabbage, kobi, finely shredded; ⅛ cup Split Bengal Gram, soaked for 2 hours; 1 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, hing; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; 4 Curry Leaves; ¾ tbsp Peanut Oil; 1 tbsp Fresh Coconut, grated, for garnish; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped; ½ tsp Salt, to taste

2 hr 35 mintotal

35 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

Vigorously drain the soaked chana dal, ensuring no residual liquid remains.
Bring the groundnut oil up to temperature in a kadhai or wide pan over a steady medium flame.
Deposit the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Follow instantly with the cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), and fresh curry leaves.
Toss in the finely chopped green chillies and the hydrated chana dal. Sauté gently on low heat for 2-3 minutes, encouraging the dal to lightly roast in the tempered fat.
2–3 min
Sprinkle in the turmeric powder and mix thoroughly to activate the spice.
Fold in the finely shredded cabbage and toss well so the turmeric coats every strand evenly.
Season with salt, cover the pan and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Do not add water; the cabbage releases enough of its own to steam the dal.
8–10 min
Stir now and then. Stop cooking as soon as the cabbage softens but still has crunch and the dal is soft with a nutty bite.
Take the pan off the heat and finish with freshly grated coconut and chopped coriander.
Serve warm.

How to tell it's done

A visually striking, dry, and distinctly crunchy yellow cabbage stir-fry, heavily punctuated by the soft, chewy, nutty bite of soaked lentils.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

122kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein3.7 g12%
Carbohydrate12.8 g40%
Fat6.9 g48%

Sugars: 3.8 g
Saturated fat: 1.7 g
Fibre: 3.6 g
Sodium: 598 mg
Potassium: 238 mg
Calcium: 39 mg
Iron: 1.4 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Adding external water to this sabzi is a culinary misstep. Cabbage boasts an exceptionally high hydration rate, and steaming it exclusively within its own expelled moisture preserves its inherent sweetness and structural crunch.

What to serve it with

A Maharashtrian lunchbox staple. Very good with chapati, varan bhaat (dal rice) and a sharp bite of raw onion.

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Ingredients