Cabbage Upkari

He : Honey..I am so hungry! Whats special for dinner tonight?

She: mm..Usual Rasam but I made Cabbage Upkari..(looking at him with happy bright eyes!)

He : Oh cool! Sounds new! Lemme take a taste.....(comes into kitchen, scoops a spoonful of the upkari ...chews..chews some more and now there is a small frown in his forehead!)

He : Ok Ok..I am tired but not that tired to not even notice that you are trying to cheat me with the same old cabbage that you make by giving it a different name! Its the boring cabbage after all!

She (grinning) : yeah - This same old boring cabbage (for you that is!) that I made is actually called Upkari and its not boring! I love it......


And thus goes the conversation/ Has it ever happened to you that what you thought was "your creation" actually exists with a name to top it off? It has happened quite so often. I have posted the other famous egg-in-a-hole which was supposedly my creation until I saw the same being made on TV!!!! I have been cooking cabbage this way ever since..mm..I started cooking and only last year, thanks to bloggers I got to know that it is actually called Upkari - a Konkani dish meaning "side dish" in that language. It is called so when any vegetables are cooked with coconut and in water. So much for my originality! (smirking!) Anyways here is my version(!Duh!)

  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Serves: 2 people
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sized cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tbsp black gram (urad dal)
  • 1 tbsp Bengal gram (channa dal)
  • 2-3 dry chilli (as per taste)
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • pinch of turmeric powder
  • 2-3 tbsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen preferable but dry coconut works too)
  • pinch of asafoetida
  • salt to taste and curry leaves to garnish
Method
1. In 1/2 tsp of oil, saute the lentils , chillies until lightly golden, add the mustard seeds
2. and once they start popping add the onions
3. Add the cabbage along with little salt, asafoetida and turmeric.
4. Saute for 2 minutes, sprinkle slightly with water (I dont like my cabbage too mushy!), close the lid and cook until the cabbage is slightly soft.
5. Add the coconut and curry leaves.
6. Cook for another 2 minutes in open flame and serve warm.

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2 Member Reviews

By Ramya on Oct 1, 2010

Hey i made this today and my hubby loved it!!

I just did not coconut and add peas instead..

Thanks u for sharing such easy recipes..

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By Siri on May 13, 2010

The title says it all - an unbelievably simple yet very yummy upkari dish. I tried this recipe adding some grated ginger & green chillies and it tasted out of this world. I never added onions to a cabbage dish before (and to be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about that) but to my surprise, onions rendered a very subtle sweet flavor to the dish. Just love it.

Cheers,
Siri \"laugh\"

15 Comments

By Gireesh on Jun 13, 2013

:lol: :lol:

By Kamala Shenoy on Jan 14, 2010

:-D what an excellent post - I like the way you write very much. Here is another of my favorite side dish recipes: http://konkanrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/01/garlic-potato-upkari-lasan-batata.html

By Uj on Feb 23, 2009

ha ha ha.. loved your read up.. Upkari is a konkani side dish.We have two versions of cabbage upkari one with onion and other without it :D Cabbage tastes best when they are not cooked completely and not mushy. Looks perfect. I love cabbage upkari but hubby does not :D

By shaikh on Feb 23, 2009

hi, very simple and good recipe. but it recall me a dish called '' cabbage foogath'. pls correct me if i m mistaken. both recipes are more and less same. thanks

By Curry Leaf on Feb 21, 2009

Darling,I got a shock when I saw the title,cabbage upkari-something I always make -(OK,I am a Konkani)-Love this and love the post

By Johanna on Feb 21, 2009

Oh yes, I know the scene - but dishes do seem a bit more exotic with an interesting name (although a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...)

By Madhumathi on Feb 20, 2009

I love this..i usually have it mixed with rice and ghee :)

By phanitha on Feb 20, 2009

I know it happens to me too...

By Siri on Feb 20, 2009

I love the Upkari. Send this to Recipes for rest of us: dinner event na! Being hosted by urs truly. Kya bolti hain?

Hugs,
Siri

By Ashwini on Feb 20, 2009

As You have said..Simplicity at its best..100 % true..Love this simple cabbage recipe..

By Trupti on Feb 20, 2009

one of my fav.. looks very delicious & easy to make

By Madhu on Feb 20, 2009

When it comes to cabbage, cooking it in a simple seasoning is the best way to enjoy them.
Looks so vibrant..

By Cabbage the Best on Feb 20, 2009

Nice and simple!

I wish I had all the ingredient needed....:-(

By veggie belly on Feb 20, 2009

I love your he-she dialogues!

By Pavani on Feb 20, 2009

Happens all the time.. I think of my dish as an original and masterpiece and then come to find out there are tons of exact same recipes everywhere in the blogosphere. But I guess that feeling of being inventive and creative keeps us going, otherwise there would not be no posts on any of our blogs. Have a great weekend.