Cabbage Kootu
1 small cabbage, chopped
8 tablespoons Toordal
1 1/2 teaspoons oil, divided
3 pieces coconut
10 black peppercorns
3 long red chillies
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
tamarind, to taste
pinch mustard
curry leaves, to taste
rice, to serve
1. Wash toordal and put it in a vessel. Cover with water, and put chopped cabbage on top. Cover, and boil for about 20 minutes. In another pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and roast the seeds, pepper, coconut and the red chillies.
2. Put them in a blender and grind with water and salt. Soak the tamarind before hand and squeeze out the juice. Add the ground paste and tamarind juice to the cabbage and dal mixture and let it boil some more.
3. In the other pan, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and roast the mustard and curry leaves and add to the cabbage curry. Eat with rice. Eating it with pappads or chips makes it taste even better.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
the dal must be soaked over night, and then boiled. i cant remember exactly how long i boil it for, because sometimes i like my dal mushy (like refry beans) or sometimes kind of solid (like blackeye peas or something). i assume that this person is using dried coconut strips, i would say some 1x2 inch pieces or maybe 1/4 cup reconstituted shredded. indian food is tricky if you are unfamiliar with it, and changes alot with region and preference. hope this helps!