Cabbage Raita

Raita is a combination of vegetable and curds. Any vegetable added to the curds not only looks sumptuous but also tastes better. But generally a few vegetables go well with the curds and cabbage is one of them.

Ingredients:

500g cabbage, ½ a litre curds, 1 tsp butter,1 tsp yellow mustard 3 red chillies 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste.

For tempering:

½ tsp mustard seeds(rai),½ tsp cumin(jeera), a pinch of hing(asafoetida) one twig of curry leaves and 1 tsp oil for frying.

Preparation:

1. Soak the yellow mustard and the chillies in a little of water. 
2. Wash and grate the cabbage and rub a little of salt to the vegetable. 
3. Heat the butter in a pan and put cabbage and cook till it is soft and done. 
4. In the mean time grind the soaked mustard and chillies along with a little of salt and sugar. 
5. Beat the curds and to this add the cooked vegetable, mustard paste and blend well. 
6. Heat  oil in a pan, put rai, jeera, curry leaves and hing, once the mustard seeds start spluttering,put off the flame and add the tempering to the blended curd and vegetable.

Serve at room temperature or a little chilled , both tastes good, with rice or roti.

Cabbage with Coconut

Cabbage is nothing but a set of tightly packed leaves. One should be careful in choosing this vegetable. Any sign of holes in the outer layer is to be avoided since it is sure to have worms. It is best avoided in the summer months and never eat raw cabbage, I mean, in the salad form, it is not advisable. Thoroughly washed and well cooked is the best bet.

Ingredients:

500g cabbage and ½ a kernel of freshly grated coconut.

For tempering:

1 tsp oil,½ tsp urad dal, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin (jeera seeds), two red chillies, one twig of curry leaves and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and grate the cabbage or chop finely and rub some salt to the vegetable and keep it aside. 
2. Heat oil in a pan and put all the ingredients of tempering one by one. 
3. Once the mustard starts spluttering add the cabbage and cook it on low flame. 
4. If the cabbage is fresh, it will not need any water to get cooked. 
5. Once it is soft and done put off the flame and add the freshly grated coconut.

Serve hot or cold with rice or roti. But never re heat once coconut is added. It is more like salad and tastes good by itself.

Hakka fried noodles

Chinese cooking has always been popular across the world. It is healthy since it takes very little oil with an exception of deep fried stuff. Some people are allergic to ajinomoto used in the dishes and also it is not safe for children below 12 years. So one can safely avoid it and the taste will not be affected.

Ingredients:

2 packets of hakka noodles, 2tbsp oil, 2tsp, green chilli sauce,1tsp pepper powder, 1/2tsp soya sauce, 1tsp vinegar and salt to taste.

Vegetables for seasoning:

1/4kg Cabbage, 1/4kg spring onions, or normal onions, 1/4kg red, yellow and green peppers, 1 small carrot, 1tsp garlic paste. All vegetables have to uniformly sliced for even cooking.

Preparation:

Boil water in a big vessel, add salt, a tsp of oil and the noodles and put off the gas. After standing time of two minutes put the noodles into a strainer and run through cold water and leave it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic paste, spring onions, cabbage, all three peppers and carrots. Keep stirring the vegetables and to these add the sauces, vinegar, pepper powder and salt. As the vegetables get little soft add the noodles, mix well and put off fire.

This can be had plain or with add on sauces.