A Super Simple Purple Cabbage Thoran
Monday, July 9th, 2007Filed Under India - Kerala, Recipes, Side Dish - Dry, Vegetarian
Regular readers here will know that I am not a big vegetable fan. But now with my parents in town, every meal must accompany a veg dish, normally in the form of thorans (a stir fry with coconut and basic seasonings) or mezhukku purattis (a simple stir fry with seasonings). My mom goes nuts with all the new leaves and veggies she finds in the Asian grocery stores here. I never get time to click though, but this purple cabbage thoran caught my attention, just because of the color of the dish. I normally ignore these in the veggie isle, so it is the first time that I have seen these cooked.
Here is some info I found on the web on purple cabbages.
- Red and purple cabbages take longer to mature, so these types are generally not as tender as green or white varieties.
- When cooking with red or purple cabbage, be aware that the compound (anthocyanin) that gives the cabbage that beautiful color will also turn it blue when it is cooked along with any alkaline substance. Since tap water is often full of alkaline minerals such as lime, be sure to add about 1 teaspoon of acidic agent, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or wine, to the pot when using tap water. If your red cabbage begins to take on that blue tinge in any recipe, the addition of the acidic agent will usually bring back the original color.
(source: http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/cabbagevariety.htm) - Purple cabbage can be used to make a pH indicator!!!
Well, it tasted pretty much the same as regular green cabbage to me! But the color sure made it special.
Ingredients
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
- Rice - 1tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Dry red chilies - 2
- Thinly sliced shallots - 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves
- Purple cabbage shredded - 3 cups
- Thinly sliced onions - 1 cup
- Green chilli peppers (small variety) - 4
- Ginger thinly sliced pieces 1 tsp
- Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
- Salt to taste
Method
Heat oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add rice and daal and fry till brown. Add dry red chilies, shallots and curry leaves and fry for a minute or so.
Add the cabbage, onions, ginger pieces, green chilies, coconut and salt and mix well.
Cover and cook on medium low heat till soft. No need to add water, there will be enough water from the cabbage.
Uncover and cook on medium high heat and stir fry till completely dry.
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32 Responses to “A Super Simple Purple Cabbage Thoran”
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I love this in my salads!!!
Great info on the pH value though…… I never thought it would be like that. Once I used a smaal quantity which was just lying in the fridge since a few days in my sweet corn soup and we had blue colour soup for dinner!!!! 
I make a thoran with purple cabbage in exactly the same way and we love it at home…
nice colour….and looks interesting
Srivalli
http://www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com
That is a simple and nutritious recipe. I have never cooked with purple cabbage before. Will definitely try your recipe soon.
hey, that thoran looks so pretty with that enticing color
good info on the purple cabbage there.
yup, it sure is not as tender as the other ones.
Ah, now I know why my thoran turned slightly blue!!!:) Thanks for that info about the PH value.
I think all moms are alike when it comes to fresh veggies and seafood…I remember my mother buying the violet cabbage from Ooty years back, on our vacation…she went crazy seeing this strange color that time
but somehow I dont like its taste…may be I am used to the regular cabbage..:P
Shn
Lovely recipe and in quite enjoyed the pH indicator bit, Sig!
Its on my “Have to make” list now!
Another comfort food Sig. nice photo. Viji
The first time I saw this, I tried poking it to see if the colour was artificial! Now it’s to be found everywhere!
Beautiful color.. I like to add this to my salad, shredded..
The colour does make it special…speaking of colour, I also loved that of your fish curry, although I’ll have to reduce the heat to a much lower level…
The color makes it different from the regular cabbage. It gets the kids excited for sure.
he he… good to know that ur mom is making u eat veggies:)
liked the little notes u have given there. first time i cooked this purple cabbage it turned out to be dirty blue, now i know whats the reason behind it. thoran is very much similar to palya we make. but we dont add rice in seasoning.
I just saw somebody blogging Purple Cauliflower!:D
Looks great,I made a dish with this once,purple galore!
You missed my latest post Sig,posted some photos too.Check them out:)
Hi Sig,thoran looks good.I have never used purple cabbage before.Will try this time.the picture makes me want to eat cabbage in the middle of summer!:)and great info about the cabbage too.
Glad to see that you are finally eating some veggies:)
I tried growing these cabbages and they took for ever. Finally the snow came and took them. Haven’t looked at them since.
I had a hectic week past,Sig and missed lots of yummy posts from my friends..
That Red fish curry with this purple thoran and red matta rice…just imgine!!..ah yes with a couple of freshly fried pappadams in coconut oil..:)
wow!!!…u r preparing the perfect keral recipe …u tried it with purple cabbage ..something different
Oh wow what a vibrant color! I’ve never seen purple cabbage before.
I have always loved the thorans. I make it like the keralites make them. but found purple cabbage didn’t have much taste like the green one. dont you think so? your pics are yummy though.
hmm i have never tried cooking with purple cabbage! ph value oh thats great info. let me try next time….
Yes the colour really makes it special. Thanks for that usueful into at the top of the post.
I very rarely cook the purple cabbage but but I like to shed and add other colour veggies to make a coleslaw.
Colorful looking, simple and nutritious dish. Would like to try it soon.
I’m with your parents–I love my veggies! And I love cabbage, so this recipe sounds like a winner to me. I’ve actually been thinking of you lately because my mom is in town for a week. We just moved to San Diego, and she came to see our new place.
sig, delete my previous comment..
i have a photo exactly like this of the purple thoran but i never got around to blogging! i love this cabbage more as a coleslaw than thoran. try it in salads.
Lovely colour…..Love it….
Thank you all for your visit and your nice words.
ഞാനും ഈ ബ്ലോഗിന്റെ സ്ഥിരം സന്ദര്ശകയാണ്
എനിക്ക് ഈ ബ്ലോഗ് വളരെ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടതാണ്. വളരെയധികം രുചിയുള്ള പാചകക്കുറിപ്പുകല് ഇവിടെയുണ്ട്.
ഞങ്ങള് ഈയിടെ ഒരു “മലയാളം പാചകക്കുറിപ്പുകളുടെ” ഒരു വെബ് സൈറ്റ് തുടങ്ങി.
സൗകര്യം പോലെ അവിടം സന്ദര്ശിക്കുക.
ഞങ്ങളുടെ വിലാസം
http://www.recipeskerala.com
നിങ്ങള്ക്കിഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട വിഭവങ്ങളുമായി ഞങ്ങള് അവിടെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്
വരുമല്ലോ ??…. ഞങ്ങള് കാത്തിരിക്കും
Kerala Recipes in Malayalam
i love purple cabbage, but, the regular green cabbage thoran has an inherent sweetness that’s wonderful, don’t you think?
on an aside, just to completely gross you out: did you read this guy who was in this room (windows shut) overnight and was found asphyxiated next morning, and his stomach contents revealed he had had only cabbage for all 3 meals the previous day? urban legend? i think not
cabbage is potent that way.
Such great food! Love the picture too, I want to run out and get purple cabbage now!
Thanks!
Kanchana
i really appreciate the info on the PH value of the cabbage, so thats why it goes blue and all…. now will try with a bit of leamon juice… thanks sooo much