Indian Cabbage Salad

Just recently, I have been expanding my cuisine to include Indian dishes.  As I have said before, I really like curry. However, this is not a curry dish.  I saw this recipe on a PBS program called Grannies on Safari.  It looked simple and delicious. So, why not try it? There are a couple of ingredients that may be hard to find but well worth the effort of obtaining.  I have not used curry leaves before and didn't know what to expect. They have a strong odor and shiny leaves.  I am lucky to live in a medium sized city with a few ethnic stores.  Unfortunately, curry powder and curry leaves are not the same thing.  You can use basil leaves, kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves instead, but the taste is not the same. 

Ingredients:

4 cups Green or purple cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 cup Red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup raw peanuts, minus the skin

1/2 tsp cayenne powder

10-12 curry leaves, finely chopped

2 TBS cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 tsp asafoetida powder, optional

1 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

3-4 TBS vegetable oil

Mix the cabbage, onions, cilantro and bell pepper in a mixing bowl. Heat the oil and add the black mustard seeds and peanuts. Fry until the peanuts change color. Take off the heat and add the curry leaves, asafoetida and cayenne. Pour over the cabbage mixture. Add salt and the lemon juice and mix well. Serve after 15 minutes. Enjoy!