Cabbage Palya

My good friend A is from Kerala and is great cook.Because of her, my whole perception of Malayali food changed. We Kannadigas have a problem with food when ever we visit Kerala. The smell of coconut oil, 'beef stew' on the menu all contribute to the problem! That remained my perception all these years even though my cousin lived in Kerala for long long years and we visited her often, I never grew to appreciate Malayali food much until I met A. She single handedly changed my perception about Malayali food! It is she who introduced to Malayali Fish curry ( which I now make very often! ), Kaalan, assorted Thoran, Avial, Stew, Aappam and the list goes on....
As a cuisine, in my list Malayali food definitely reigns with in the top 10 now. Our families (mine and A's) we keep meeting often, at times at our place, at time her's. On one such day at her place, she served us this side dish. Thoran is much like Palya but much richer with an abundance of coconut.



Cabbage a small head chopped
Coconut 1/2 cup grated
Oil 1 tbsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Curry leaf 5-6
Green Chillies 3-4 slit
Ginger 1/4" minced
Lemon 1
Salt
Urad Dal

Method:

• Mix cabbage, coconut and ginger. Dump it in a pan and switch on the heat. Cook till crisp tender.
• In another pan heat oil for the tempering. Drop the mustard, curry leaves, green chillies and urad dal in order. Switch off the fire. Now stir in the tempering into the cabbage mixture.
• Stir well and take it off from fire. Serve with rice and dal