Sweet and Sour Indian Spiced Red Cabbage

My kids love cabbage, which is a good thing because I serve it often. It cooks quickly, is full of great nutrition, and is wonderfully versatile. After I buy a head of green or red, I shred it up and keep it in the fridge to pull out whenever I want to make it. Throughout the week, I might make up some fresh cabbage salad, add some to chicken for a stir-fry, or just saute it with lemon and garlic for an easy side dish.

This week I had my bag of shredded red cabbage staring me in the face, and I ended up with an absolutely scrumptious indian spiced version with curry. It's a little sweet from the stevia, and a little sour from the vinegar. It was so delicious that we ate an entire head of cabbage in one meal, and my two year old did the most damage. To quote her, "Mmmmm, you put so many spices in my cabbage. It's so tasty---good job!"

The recipe is very simple, and will have your whole house smelling delish. My son came downstairs for lunch and asked with excitement if I had made curried red lentil soup! I feared he would be disappointed, but the four of us fought over every last bite. I can't wait to make it again.

Sweet and Sour Indian Spiced Red Cabbage

2 tsp cooking oil

3 tsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp mild curry powder (I used Vadouvan, which is our favorite) 

1 leek, white part sliced thinly

1/8 cup water

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 small chili of your preference (jalapeno or birds-eye, for ex) finely minced--this is 100% optional depending on how spicy you like your food. I didn't use this when I made it for my kids)

1 medium head red cabbage, cored and finely sliced

1/2 tsp stevia powder (to taste--start with less and add as desired)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a big pan over medium heat. Add in the mustard seeds and curry powder. This will make a bit of a paste. 

Mustard Seeds and Curry

When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the leeks and the water. Pop a lid on to help the leeks soften, and let that do its work for 3-4 minutes until the leeks are nice and soft. Add the garlic, ginger and chili (if using) and cook for an additional minute.

Now the leek are in the mix

Add in the cabbage. Side note: You may need to add in two sets depending on your pan size. This is no problem, fill the pan and then allow it to cook down a bit and add any remaining cabbage. 

After adding the cabbage (first batch), add in the stevia and the vinegar. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Cook covered for 15-20 minutes depending on your preference. Stir periodically to keep from sticking to pan. Taste and adjust the seasonings: add salt and pepper as needed, and add stevia for more sweetness or vinegar for added sourness.

Enjoy!