Cabbage Thoran (Stir-Fry)

Ingredients	Quantity
Vegetable oil	1/3 cup
Potatoes – peeled , cut in 1 cm cubes	½ pound
Mustard seeds	2 tsp
Urad dal or brown lentils – optional	1 tsp
Fresh curry leaves	10
Onion – finely sliced	1
Green chillies – (trimmed), halved – lengthwise	1 whole
Turmeric	1 tsp
Whit cabbage – finely shredded	1 pound
Grated coconut	1 ¾ ounces
Salt and pepper
Fried green chillies – to garnish	1 bunch

 Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the cubed potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are golden on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and keep them warm.

Heat the remaining oil. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until they begin to pop. Add the urad dhal or brown lentils, if using, and curry leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes until the lentils are golden. Add the onion and chillies and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the turmeric, cabbage and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, cover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until softened.

Stir in the fried potatoes and half of the fresh grated coconut. Spoon into a warmed serving dish and sprinkle over the remaining coconut. Serve garnished with fried green chillies.

NOTE:   Thoran is an essential dish that is served at every Keralan feast. The most important feast in the calendar is the annual Onam Feast, which celebrates the mythical return of a benevolent and divine ruler of Kerala. Keralan is predominantly a Hindu state, so eating meat is not a traditional part of their culture. Home-grown spices, herbs and vegetables are abundant in the countryside and family recipes are passed down through the generations. Spices such as chilli, cloves, nutmeg, coriander and cumin are widely used. Rice and coconut are served with bitter gourd, cassava, lentils and bananas on bright green, fragrant banana leaves.