Red cabbage Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut (shredded raw cabbage fermented under specific conditions) is an Eastern or Central European dish. It is a simple probiotic rich pickle like salad. 

In olden days it started as a way to preserve cabbages that grow abundantly and stock them up for freezing weather conditions.
In USA, we use this in salads, sandwiches and soups. Sometimes it is served as a side dish in Thanksgiving dinners.

Variations:
It should traditionally contain only few ingredients like cabbage and salt.
I have added little vinegar (it slows down fermentation and it is not necessary).
I added vinegar to keep it long and safe. You can feel free to omit vinegar and just use salt to preserve the cabbage (that's the best way to create a probiotic rich sauerkraut).
I have used red cabbage, as I am fascinated by this purple color and by the health benefits. Still feel free to use any cabbage you can get.
I find any kind of pickling as a 'feel good' phase for me and so I do this often :).

Where did I buy these ?

I bought the red cabbage from the nearby Asian grocery store, 'Organic Apple cider vinegar with mother' from Aldi, Sea salt (Chettinad brand) from Indian grocery stores,  32 oz glass Ball jar from Walmart.

Tools I used:
Cuisinart 13 cup food processor - adjustable slicing blade. (Believe me, a food processor makes everything easy 😃)
Or we can use a cutting board and a knife.
A mortar and pestle as weights.
A mixing bowl and a clean glass jar with lid.

Ingredients : Red cabbage , Apple cider vinegar with the 'mother culture', A clean glass jar, sea salt

My hubby presented me in 2017 for Christmas  💕

use the slicing attachment in food processor.

Add salt and mix well.

Or keep it like this.

Transfer everything to a clean dry jar and close well.

Save in fridge or at room temperature. 

A simple salad with onion, purple sauerkraut,  chickpeas , arugula, lettuce and beets pickle.

Ingredients:
Red cabbage - 1 (2 .5 lb)
Sea salt - 1 tbsp
apple cider vinegar - 2tbsp

Method:
Using a cutting board or a food processor (slicing blade) , shred the cabbage into thin slices.
Transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add salt and mix well. Place a weight above the cabbage , so that it releases lot of water and stays inside the water it releases. This is the important phase in preserving the cabbage. Cover it with a thin cloth and let it remain in room temperature for 2 days.
By this time we will notice that the cabbage has shrunk in volume and the amount of juice it is giving out.
Now our Sauerkraut is ready to serve !
At this stage (after 2 days), I have added 2 tbsp 'vinegar with mother' to make sure that it stays safer and I keep it inside fridge for further use. You can feel free to keep it in room temperature too, as that's how everyone is doing globally.

Serving suggestion:

Serve as salad ingredient or sandwich filling or simple side dish or as an ingredient in soups.

This is good for digestive health.

Cabbage rice

This is one rice variety I prepared this week for Xavier's lunch pack and for me. This is not a traditional variety rice of Tamilnadu (like lemon rice or tamarind rice). But it is one of the best ways to make your loved ones eat that vegetable without fussing  😋
This is my version of cabbage rice and it tastes great in my view. Also we can make it more quick if we have any leftover cabbage poriyal.
I prepared horse gram chutney (kollu thogayal) along with this rice and it tastes yummy !

Cabbage rice with horsegram chutney and sweet potato chips.

Ingredients:
Cabbage (finely chopped) - 100 gms.
Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
red chili - 1
curry leaf - 1 sprig
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
sesame oil - 2 tsp
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
cumin seed - 1/4 tsp
green gram lentil (paasi paruppu) - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method:
Finely chop the cabbage and keep aside.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add green gram lentil and fry till it gets mild red.
Immediately add finely chopped onion, curry leaf, red chilly pieces , ginger and stir well till the onion gets semi cooked.
Now add the chopped cabbage , salt , 1/2 cup water and cook it tightly covered till the cabbage gets cooked well and all water is evaporated.
Then add the cumin and shredded coconut, mix well.
Turn off heat.

Cabbage fry is ready!

Cabbage rice:
Uncooked rice - 1 cup (or) little lesser.
salt - to taste.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 2 cups

Preparation:
Rinse and cook the rice in stove top / pressure cooker / rice cooker,  along with everything mentioned.
Prepare the cabbage poriyal as per above recipe.
Let the rice cool a little. Add the poriyal and mix well.
If needed add some idly podi for more spice level.

Cabbage rice is ready !

Serving suggestion:
Serve as main course for lunch along with any chutney.
Good for lunch pack to go.
Stays good at rom temperature up to 5-6 hours only (as vegetables and coconut is added), so I won't suggest this as usual travel food (like lemon rice , puli rice).

Cabbage chutney

Cabbage is one of the low calorie vegetables and it is a staple in South Indian cooking. Making stir fry is the most common way to cook the cabbage in our house. I never knew if I would find something good in it other than its lesser price in all seasons. While I was staying in an working women's hostel, we used to get some newer kind of chutneys like this. It was run by Catholic sisters and we were given the best of the season's food, but it would be centered around health only. Though I always appreciate all the foods provided, I couldn't realize the health benefits behind the various salads and chutneys at that age :) Myself and my friends used to think that coconut chutneys are the best. One day we started asking for sambar or someother well known chutney with breakfast,  as it seems weird to have vegetables in breakfast time....then my favorite Stella sister, (the most friendly hostel warden) explained us and told us about the goodness behind sneaking in vegetables into all our foods. She explained how they are maintaining a huge vegetable/fruit garden in their farm all by themselves and providing us and many people around at a nominal price. From that moment I started falling in love with these chutneys made of cabbage, brinjal or any veggies ,as they were introduced to me by some great people I could ever meet :)I am sure , it is by her blessings and sweet explanation I could admire healthy cooking in a graceful way.
Hope you too start including vegetables along with every meal and enjoy everyday !

Cabbage chutney with idli for breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients:
Cabbage (shredded) -  2 cups / 100 gms
shallot onion - 5
garlic - 4 cloves
dry red chilly - 5
oil - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
tamarind - small gooseberry size
salt - to taste
curry leaves - few

To temper:
sesame oil - 1 tbsp
mustard - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
hing - pinch
curry leaves - few
 
Method:
Heat few drops of oil in a pan. Fry dry red chillies till it smells nice. Keep aside.
In the same pan add few more drops of oil and add the curry leaves, peeled shallot, garlic and saute till shallot turns golden brown. Then add urid dal and keep stirring in low heat till it becomes mild red. Take this out and keep along with fried chillies.
In the same pan, add shredded cabbage (if needed add some oil for sauteing) and saute till the cabbage wilts. Switch off and let cool everything.
In the meantime soak the tamarind in some hot water.
Now grind together the cabbage, fried items, salt and tamarind.
Again heat the same pan with 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add mustard, urid dal. As soon as the mustard starts popping add hing and curry leaves. Pour the prepared chutney to the tempering and cook for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell vanishes.
Cabbage chutney is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with idli or dosai.

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Quick version:
Sometimes I make this chutney using left over cabbage poriyal. Click and see the recipe.

Ingredients:
cabbage poriyal (stir fry) - 2 cup
tamarind - 1 inch
tomato - 2
salt - to taste
idli podi - 2 tbsp
Tempering : (see above recipe)

Method:
Microwave the chopped tomato, tamarind with 1 cup of water and cook well.
Grind the cabbage fry, tomato, tamarind, salt, idli podi together to a fine paste with enough water.
If needed add some red chilli powder.
Do the tempering and saute the chutney again for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell vanishes.

Cabbage carrot poriyal

A big ball of cabbage sitting in the refrigerator is a great comfort for me when that week's grocery shopping got postponed unavoidably. Cabbage side dishes are plenty in my draft and here is one.

Recipe courtesy / memories: My sulochana aachi . I remember her telling mom to prepare this cabbage poriyal, whenever they both arrange for some family get-together.  Indian ThaLi meal (platter) may need  'n' number of side dishes.  So if we can prepare a delicious cabbage poriyal, then it will become an inexhaustible side dish resource for that day, even if you run out of a few dishes :) I like her views,  social skills, home management techniques very much. So no wonder, her favorite cabbage became my favorite too:)

Ingredients:

cabbage  - 150 gm
carrot (1) - 50 gm
channa dhal - 2 tbsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
onion - 1/2
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tsp
cumin- 1/2 tsp
freshly shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
green chilly - 1
ginger - 1/2 inch

Method:

Soak the channa dhal for sometime and cook it by putting in boiling water.
(or) Microwave it for 2 minutes along with 1/4 cup water.
Finely chop the onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and keep aside.
Finely chop the cabbage and carrot (tiny squares). Keep aside.
Heat a wok with a tsp of oil and let the mustard crackle. Then add the chopped onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and stir well. Let the onion wilt (1 minute).Immediately add the finely chopped cabbage, carrot and stir well. Add the cooked channa dhal along with any left over water(not much) and cook covered (3 minutes). Don't let it brown. Let all the water evaporate. Finally add required salt, cumin, shredded coconut, mix well and switch off.

Cabbage carrot poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestions:

serve as side dish with sambar rice or any rice or roti.
Serves 3 people.