75 Min
DF
GF
V
Purple Cabbage Pilaf
Just like most people from the Asian subcontinent, a meal without rice is incomplete in my home. Making rice each day can be cumbersome and one way to alleviate that is to have plain rice premade in the refrigerator, ready to turn into a quick meal. And then there are some rice dishes that are even good cold or at room temperature. This cabbage pilaf is one of them and four cups of cabbage for one cup of raw rice may seem like much, but I promise you, even your kids will enjoy it.
The pilaf is a showstopper when made and can be served alongside grilled meats or vegetables or a simple stew. The key is to add the cabbage to rice a few minutes after it is cooked and the steam from the rice will cook the cabbage just enough to soften it yet maintain its color. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, there are a multitude of ways to enjoy it, if not just straight out of the refrigerator. It can go into a salad, a stir fry or just dumped into a warm stew or curry. I often call for the addition of a serrano pepper in most of my recipes and like in this one, the serrano adds a very small almost undetectable dimension of heat, but it rounds off and almost magnifies the salty, sweet, and savory flavors in a way really nothing else does. So, go ahead and stock up on the serrano peppers and give this pilaf a try.
Just like most people from the Asian subcontinent, a meal without rice is incomplete in my home. Making rice each day can be cumbersome and one way to alleviate that is to have plain rice premade in the refrigerator, ready to turn into a quick meal. And then there are some rice dishes that are even good cold or at room temperature. This cabbage pilaf is one of them and four cups of cabbage for one cup of raw rice may seem like much, but I promise you, even your kids will enjoy it.
The pilaf is a showstopper when made and can be served alongside grilled meats or vegetables or a simple stew. The key is to add the cabbage to rice a few minutes after it is cooked and the steam from the rice will cook the cabbage just enough to soften it yet maintain its color. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, there are a multitude of ways to enjoy it, if not just straight out of the refrigerator. It can go into a salad, a stir fry or just dumped into a warm stew or curry. I often call for the addition of a serrano pepper in most of my recipes and like in this one, the serrano adds a very small almost undetectable dimension of heat, but it rounds off and almost magnifies the salty, sweet, and savory flavors in a way really nothing else does. So, go ahead and stock up on the serrano peppers and give this pilaf a try.
75 Minutes + soak time
4
Notes & Variations
- Be sure the use a pot big enough to fit the rice and the cabbage mix over it.
- This pilaf can be made with plain green or Napa cabbage.
- The cloves add a nutty warm flavor and aroma to the rice – they can be replaced with a stick of cinnamon or a few crushed green cardamom or mace pods.
Notes & Variations
- Be sure the use a pot big enough to fit the rice and the cabbage mix over it.
- This pilaf can be made with plain green or Napa cabbage.
- The cloves add a nutty warm flavor and aroma to the rice – they can be replaced with a stick of cinnamon or a few crushed green cardamom or mace pods.
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A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.
A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.
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