Food Talk
 Crunchy cabbage

Often an add-on, the bandh gobhi deserves a solo role because of its food value,
writes Pushpesh Pant

CABBAGE or bandh gobhi can claim to be one of the oldest vegetables known to us. The wild variety has spawned assorted varieties — green, white and red as well as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. It is referred to as gojivha — literally, ‘cow’s tongue’ in ayurvedic texts and was originally valued for its medicinal properties. No one can dispute that it is healthy food — low in calories, high in water content as well as salts, vitamins and minerals.

The Russians take delight in borsch that has cabbage as its base — a nourishing soup made with meat or fish stock and enriched with mushrooms, beetroot and sundry vegetables. The Americans are exceptionally fond of coleslaw that accompanies burgers and hot dogs.

Gobhi in a jiffy

Ingredients

Green cabbage (finely shredded) 250 gm

Vegetable oil 3 tbsp

Channa dal 1 tsp

Urad dal 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Curry leaves 20

Chillies whole or cut into long slivers 2-4

Freshly grated coconut 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-heat. When hot, add mustard seeds and wait for these to splutter then add the channa dal, urad dal and stir-fry until the dals change colour. Add the curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds. Add the chillies and stir again. Now add the cabbage. Stir once to mix. Add the salt and mix again. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for five to six minutes or until the cabbage is cooked, is nicely glazed but retains its crunch.

Remove the cover. Add the coconut and mix it in with the cabbage, stirring vigorously for a minute or so.

The Germans have the Alsatian delicacy sauerkraut — translated loosely as bitter herb-made with fermented shredded white cabbage that is traditionally paired with grilled sausages, frankfurters and apples.

In Chinese cuisine, pak choy or bok choy has an important place as an accompanied and is served sautéed, braised, poached, in sweet and sour sauce or as a condiment. (In Indian-Chinese, it is the mainstay with carrots of the ubiquitous chowmein and vegetarian spring rolls).

Curiously, in India bandh gobhi is mostly used as a filler — to stretch the more expensive fresh green peas, reduce the tedium of the hum drum aloo or a filling — instead of potatoes in a green dosa or samosa and seldom allowed a stellar solo role.

The mention of gobhi brings to mind — more often than not — the cauliflower. At a pinch, you can substitute the harder to come by good quality lettuce with crunchy cabbage.

We have fond memories of a musallam bandh gobhi that was once served by Salim Miyan, the khansamah at the Mukteswar dak bungalow with great fanfare when no murghi was available at short notice. s

Draped in finger licking masala made with fried onions, garlic and ginger and accompanied with roast baby potatoes and boiled peas, it was a dish worth dying for.

Salim insisted that the gobhi acquired its unique taste because it was cooked in its own juices — on dum — for hours but there was a strong rumour that the magic was worked by generous and clandestine sprinkling of flavourful mutton stalk.

During a recent visit down South, we were delighted to discover a far easier to master recipe that unveils the beauty of cabbage. This stir-fried version retains the bite, preserves the nutrients and offers the possibility of tailoring it to your individual taste by playing around with tempering and garnishes.

We have dared to pair it with carrots, raisins and walnuts, spiked it with hot green chillies and a squeezed lemon and have always been rewarded amply by the cabbage.

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