Ingredients:

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 teaspoons shredded peeled ginger

4 dried red chiles, seeded, soaked in water, and drained

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

11 ounces cabbage, finely shredded

2 teaspoons panch phoron (see below)

Salt, to taste

 

Directions:

Put the mustard seeds, ginger and red chiles in a blender along with 5 tablespoons of water and whizz to a fine paste. Set aside the paste and continue with the recipe. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot and add the onion. Fry until golden, then add the cabbage. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until just translucent and sprinkle in the ground spice mixture and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook uncovered until the cabbage is done but still crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.

 

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a separate pan and add the panch phoron. When it crackles, pour the oil and the seeds over the cabbage. Mix well. Serve hot, ideally with Luchis or with rice and Bengali Dal. To make the panch phoron, cooks can mix equal quantities of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, and nigella seeds. 

 

Serves 4