cabbage curry

Cabbage Curry

By Swasthi on July 7, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Cabbage Curry is a tasty, mildly- spiced vegetarian Indian dish made with cabbage, peas, and aromatic spices. Also known as patta gobhi matar or bandh gobhi matar this is a staple in many homes and is made in many different ways across India. “Patta gobhi” and “bandh gobhi” refers to cabbage in Hindi, and matar means peas. This vitamin-rich cabbage curry is a traditional dry side dish that tastes simply delicious and goes well with rice or Indian flatbreads like roti, paratha or bhakri.

Cabbage curry recipe made with shredded cabbage and peas

Cabbage Curry

This cabbage curry is an excellent choice when you want to make a healthy meal without much fuss. This vegan and gluten-free dish is easy to make but making it right and perfect needs some care. No ones like overcooked, soggy and mushy cabbage!

This cabbage curry is perfect in terms of flavor, crunch and taste. It is minimally spiced without overpowering spicy flavors. This dish is versatile and you can play around with your favorite veggies and spices too. 

I always love to add some protein like Peas or soaked lentils to my cabbage curry or stir fry. Sometimes I also like to throw in some potatoes, bell peppers, carrots and green beans as well. This recipe uses a small quantity of peas which you can skip if you don’t like. But they impart some sweet tones to the dish.

This cabbage curry is made just like any other curry but there is no liquid added during the preparation as we don’t want mushy and overcooked cabbage. To start with we saute the onions, ginger and garlic followed by tomatoes.

Tomatoes add the right amount of tang and flavor to the dish. But you can also skip the onions and tomatoes from the recipe and just use cabbage. You just have to cut down the spices or increase the quantity of cabbage.

You will add the cabbage to the onion tomato mixture and stir fry on a high heat just until tender yet crunchy. Cabbage absorbs all of the flavors from the spices and tomatoes.

Here are some Cabbage Recipes I shared earlier

Cabbage vada
Chinese style cabbage stir fry
Steamed cabbage recipe
Cabbage Poriyal
Quick cabbage rice

cabbage curry recipe

Prepare Cabbage

Preparing and blanching the cabbage before making the dish is considered very important in India. Blanching the cabbage helps remove little bugs and dirt. It is up to you whether you want to do it or not.

To blanch you will simply heat 4 to 5 cups of water in a large pot. Cut your cabbage to quarters and loosen them a bit. Put them in the hot water. If you want you can also add some vinegar and baking soda to get rid of any pesticide residue.

The water has to be slightly hot but not boiling hot. Leave for 2 to 3 mins and you will see the bugs float if any. Drain the water and rinse them under running water. Shake off each quarter in the kitchen sink, we don’t want any water in your cabbage as it can make your dish mushy. Shred or chop it and add to a colander if you still see a lot of water.

Alternately, you can soak the cabbage quarters in vinegar water for 5 minutes or in salted water for 15 minutes. Wash well before use. Both steps help remove dirt, germs, and mold from the cabbage to some extent.

How to Make Cabbage Curry (Stepwise Photos)

1. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a hot pan or wok. Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or grated ginger. Fry until the raw smell disappears. You can also add ginger garlic paste after frying onions.

seasoning with spices

2. Add ¾ cup sliced onions and fry until they turn transparent.

frying onions until transparent

3. Add ½ to ¾ cup chopped tomatoes, 1/3 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon turmeric. Fry until the tomatoes turn completely mushy and soft.

addition of tomatoes for cabbage curry recipe

4. Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ¾ teaspoon garam masala. Saute for one to two minutes without burning. I usually add some curry leaves here along with spice powders, this time I didn’t use since I didn’t have. Before proceeding to the next step, make sure the raw smell of tomatoes has completely gone and the masala is cooked well. It should be almost dry without any excess moisture. Also taste test and add more salt if required.

spice powders

5. Transfer ¼ to ½ cup frozen green peas (or boiled) and saute for a minute. You can use fresh/ frozen peas. Dried peas or chana dal can also be used to make this curry. Soak dried peas for about 10 to 12 hours & pressure cook until soft. If using chana dal soak for one hour, cook until tender (not mushy) and use here.

addition of peas in cabbage curry recipe

Make Cabbage Curry

6. Add 4 to 5 cups chopped cabbage. Ensure cabbage is drained completely before adding it to the pan.

addition of veggies

7. Mix everything till the masala coats the cabbage well. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes.

mix

8. Stir fry on a medium heat until the cabbage is partially cooked yet remains crunchy. Sometimes cabbage begins to let out water, if so increase the flame/ heat to the highest and stir fry. If your cabbage is too old and is hard, you may cook covered for 2 mins. But note that covering can make it mushy. Add coriander leaves and turn off.

addition of coriander

Serve cabbage curry with rice or roti.

cabbage curry recipe

If you are new to cooking, then these tips will help you to prepare cabbage.

Tips

  • I always prefer to cut & wash cabbage well so that the leaves get a good rinse from inside. But there are a lot of sources mention that it can be very well used after giving a good rinse outside.
  • Ensure you drain the cabbage completely before cooking. Excess moisture makes mushy cabbage curry.
  • Never cook cabbage on a low flame as it begins to release moisture and turn mushy.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

cabbage curry recipe

Cabbage Curry

Indian cabbage curry is a simple dish of cabbage stir fried with onions, tomatoes and spices. Serve this with rice or roti.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 tablespoons oil or as needed
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ginger or ginger garlic paste or grated
  • ½ to ¾ cup onions thinly sliced (optional)
  • ½ to ¾ cup tomatoes finely chopped (optional)
  • ⅓ to ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala or sambar powder as needed
  • ¼ to ½ cup green peas or 2 tbsp chana dal (soaked and cooked)
  • 4 to 5 cups cabbage chopped
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped


Instructions

Preparation (optional to clean cabbage)

  • Remove the outer leaves of cabbage and cut to quarters.
  • Heat 4 to 6 cups water in a large pot. The water should be slightly hot but not very hot. Turn off the stove. Keep the cabbage in this water and leave for 2 to 3 mins.
  • Discard the water and rinse them a few times in fresh water. Drain the cabbage completely. Shake off to drain the excess water.
  • Chop the cabbage and set aside. Ensure the water is completely drained from the cabbage. Excess moisture makes mushy cabbage curry.

How to Make Cabbage Curry

  • Pour oil to a hot pan or wok. When the oil turns hot, add mustard and cumin. 
  • As soon as they begin to sizzle, add ginger garlic and fry till it turns aromatic.
  • Add sliced onions and fry till they turn transparent. Transfer tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry until the tomatoes turn mushy and soft.
  • Add spice powders and fry for a minute or 2 until the raw smell has gone. Taste test and adjust salt at this stage. (Adding later often release more moisture from cabbage)
  • Next add green peas and then saute for a minute.
  • Next add chopped and drained cabbage. Stir for the masala to coat the cabbage well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium high heat.
  • Fry until the cabbage is tender yet slightly crunchy. If you see the cabbage oozing out water, rise the heat to highest and stir fry. If your cabbage is hard, then cover and cook just for 2 mins.
  • Sprinkle Coriander leaves. Serve cabbage curry with rice or roti.


Notes

  • You can use any kind of cabbage. But then, if you can, look out for green cabbage as they are best for this dish.
  • Before using cabbage, make sure to wash it well. Clean the cabbage head under running water and remove the outer, damaged leaves. Scrub the cabbage leaves with your hand.
  • Next, cut the cabbage into quarters and wash again so that the leaves get a rinse from the inside as well.
  • Or else you can soak them in vinegar water for 5 minutes or in salted water for 15 minutes. Wash well before use. Both steps help remove dirt, germs, and mold from the cabbage.
  • Drain the cabbage well before adding it to the pan as it will otherwise make the curry mushy.
  • Ensure not to cook cabbage on low heat, as it can make the curry mushy since cabbage releases moisture while cooking.
  • If you do not prefer peas, you can substitute them with cooked chana dal. But then, make sure to soak them for an hour and then cook them until tender before using.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Cabbage Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 146 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Sodium 301mg13%
Potassium 402mg11%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 705IU14%
Vitamin C 55mg67%
Calcium 73mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Cabbage Curry first published in May 2015. Updated and republished in July 2022.

Cabbage Curry

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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5 stars
Easy and delicious. I think the peas are the star ingredient.

5 stars
Very good recipe and easy to prepare.

5 stars
Very pleasantly surprised. Never thought cabbage could taste so good 🙂 Now a staple in my house; even for guests 🙂

5 stars
Hi.. thanks for the recipe i will be trying this soon. Can i use godha masala as garam masala??

Thanks

5 stars
Tastes great! Added more chili powder to make it spicier though.

5 stars
The first time I made a cabbage curry was when in lockdown in Goa last year, when the local market was closed, thankfully local boys managed to get vegetables for myself and friends, but one day nobody want the cabbage so rather than go to waste we had it, found a cabbage curry recipe on the internet, but I didn’t take note of it and this curry reminded me of my time in Goa. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this curry and it is particularly important as my husband has a kidney malfunction and can only eat certain types of food!

Can purple and green cabbage both be used together for this recipe?

5 stars
Superb recipe!

I just want to know, is there a reason why the cabbage has to be put in warm salt water? Is it only to clean the cabbage or does it help in cooking too?

5 stars
Simple ingredients….taste also very good

5 stars
Hi,
We really love this curry! My partner and I have cooked it several times, we like the taste and how simple it is to cook. thank you for posting this!

5 stars
I loved it. Had a glut of cabbage in the allotment

5 stars
Very tasty thanks. Just the sort of dish we enjoy

Thank you for the detailed instructions! may I omit the mustard seeds if I don’t have any?

Greetings from France!. I made your cabbage curry and it was a huge success. My husband said it was the best curry he’d eaten and even my teenage son (a pasta pizza lover) really enjoyed it. It was easy to make and your instructions easy to follow. I’d have normally used Basmati rice but had bought the local Camargue rice (helping local producers) but it’s not quite the same!

5 stars
Made 12 doz dinner rolls excellent nice yellow color ,

5 stars
Fantastic! I never thought of making cabbage curry but your recipe proved tasty and everyone loved it. Thank you so much

5 stars
Thank you Swasthi garu. Your recipes are very helpful for me.

5 stars
Good

5 stars
I’m just one week home from a cycling holiday in rural Kerala where I experienced the best vegetarian food I’ve ever tasted.Curry for breakfast,dinner and tea!
Desperate for the taste of Indian food but with only a cabbage in the house and fresh spices I brought home from my visit to a Spice Farm last week,I made your cabbage curry dish.It was absolutely gorgeous and took me straight back to beautiful Kerala. Thankyou

Similarly, I just returned from India & was craving curry. I follow the Slimming World way of eating & was surfing the net to find a way to use my cabbage up. This was delicious and I shall be recommending it to my group.

5 stars
Great recipe! I used napa/savoy cabbage, so there was no need to soak first. I will double it next time in order to use the entire cabbage.

Hi,

I usually cook variety of recipes from net. but dont know. these days whatever i do, i am not able to cook properly. and so i tried from your site. while cooking it tastes good. but by noon or night the taste is getting changed.

Please help me in this as i tried lot of times to change the style of cooking but nothing gives the best.