Sodhi/ Cabbage cooked in Coconut milk

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Dear Foodies,

Going with the combo recipe I had in my previous post. Here is another wonderful combo. Sodhi is a very simple recipe. Its just what the title says it is 'cabbage cooked in coconut milk', it needs no extra spices to give taste to it. It might sound like a weird combination but trust me, the two of them blend beautifully. They have a mild but unique flavor and when used together they are wonderful. Well, but they are NOT the duo in the combo I was talking about. Sodhi served with fluffy hot puri's is one of the best combos I have had. You have to taste it to vouch for it as the taste is nothing like any of the other combo's we are used to !!

I did not have the time and patience to make puri's last night and so adjusted with some store bought plain paratha's and rice. I dint want to insult this dish by serving it with plain rice and so I gave a mild flavor of a few cloves, cardamom pods, a garlic pod and bay leaves sauteed in some ghee. I made sure the spices were just enough to lend a mild taste to the rice and would not over power the main dish, Sodhi :-)

Anyone who has tasted this dish before, do tell me...none of my friends heard of it !!! :-(

Ingredients:

• 1 nos - Cabbage, finely chopped

• 2 nos - Onions, finely chopped

• 4 nos - Green chillies, slit through the length

• 1 sprig - Curry leaves

• 1 cup - Coconut milk

• 2 Tbsp - Lime juice

• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• 1 tsp - Mustard seeds

• 1 tsp - Cumin seeds

• 4 Tbsp - Oil

For fresh coconut milk:

(1) Grate 1 coconut and squeeze the milk from it using your hand or filter. The milk got with the first attempt is called 1st paalu/milk.
(2) To get more milk add some water to the leftover gratings and extract again. This is called 2nd milk. You can use a blender for this step so that the water and grated coconut mix well.
(3) Repeat step (2) for the 3rd milk.

I conveniently used store bought coconut milk,and surprisingly it tasted just as good or did I forget the taste...!!!

Procedure:

1. In a wide pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, once they splutter add the cumin seeds.
2. Add the green chillies and curry leaves, once they are coated with oil add the chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent.
3. Now toss in the cabbage and saute for 2-3 mins, add salt.
4. If using fresh prepared coconut milk add the 3rd milk first and cook for a while covering the pan with a lid, once the water content reduces add the 2nd milk and cook till the cabbage turns soft.
5. Now reduce the flame and add the 1st milk and cook for 1-2 mins on low flame. Dont let it boil at this stage.
   
6. If using store bought coconut milk then cook by adding a little water till the cabbage is cooked, then add coconut milk and let it stay on low flame for 2-3 mins. The dish is not very runny, so add little amounts of water.
   
7. Turn off and add the lime juice and mix.
   
8. Serve hot with puris for best results, it is a perfect pairing ;-)
   

Note:

• To speed up the process, I microwaved the cabbage till the onions were done :-)
• Before adding the 1st milk reduce the flame and let the whole curry cool down a bit. After the milk is added dont let the curry boil. You definetely dont want the milk to separate and spoil ur dish !

On requests about this recipe's origin, I asked my mom about it and here is the story:
~~ This dish belongs to the Malaysian cuisine. My grandmother had spent her childhood there and brought along a few of their dishes along with her when she came to India. She then taught my mother and now I am learning from her. I have to mention here that my grandmother is an excellent cook and has hundreds of recipes up her sleeve, she has also penned it all down in a book and is still adding to it !! ~~

Enjoy your food :-)