Spicy Indian Cabbage

I have grown to appreciate Indian food. The aroma of the spices fill the house and I love it. I am really a wimp when it comes to hot food.  Not long ago, I went to a Thai restaurant and ordered Pad Thai. I really like this dish. When I got home and took a couple of bites I felt like my mouth was on fire. I couldn't even taste the food because of the heat.  After drinking a glass of water and then some milk, I threw the food out. What is the point of eating if the food is so hot that your lips and mouth burn?  So, whenever I make a dish, I tone down the hot spices a little. It is the flavor not the heat that I look for when cooking.

Cabbage is one of my favorite things to eat.  Growing up we would fry it with bacon grease, salt, pepper, and a little water.  That is the southern way of making it.  I have since stopped cooking with bacon grease, well, not a lot.  This Indian recipe is very good.  It has carrots, onions, cumin and ghee or butter.  Stir fry for a few minutes and you have a wonderful accompaniment to your meal.  I served mine with kefta meatballs and Pulao.  The recipe is adapted from the book, The Complete Book of Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez.

Ingredients:

4 TBS butter or margarine
1 tsp of cumin powder or 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3-8 dried chillies or to taste
1 small onion, sliced
4 cups cabbage, shredded
1-2 medium carrots, grated
salt/pepper to taste
2 TBS lemon juice (or lime if you like it better)

In a medium pot, over medium to high heat, add butter or margarine.  Add the sliced onion and saute until translucent. Next, add the chillies and cumin and saute for an additional minute or two.  Then add the cabbage and the carrots.  Saute until the carrots and cabbage are soft.  Last of all, add the lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste.  Enjoy!