Friday, December 11, 2009

Cabbage cooked with simple spices (Bandhakopir Tarkari)

Nowadays cabbage is available in the vegetable market throughout the year. But I think the winter cabbage tastes better. I prefer to use my Bonthi (the traditional vegetable cutter where you have to sit on the floor and cut the vegetables with the sharp knife that stands up attached to a wooden board which is supported firmly with the legs as you sit on it) as it is easier to shred the cabbage easily. This act may be easy for me but sound uninteresting for those who have never used such a typical traditional vegetable cutter.

For today’s Bandhakopi tarkari I used Ilish macher matha. You can cook it without adding fish head, make it simply Vegetarian. The recipe you see in the picture is cooked with fried fish head (macher matha).




Ingredients: (without fish head)

Cabbage : 2 (medium size)
Potatoes: 2
Tomatoes: 2
Tej pata (bay leaves): 3 or 4
Garam masala (freshly ground home-made preferred): 2 tsp
Haldi (turmeric) powder
Jeera (cumin) powder (1/2 tsp)
Dhania (Coriander) powder (3/4 tsp)
Lai mirch (red chili) powder (the heat that you can bear)
Salt to taste
Sugar as per your taste
Cooking oil

Preparation:

Shred the cabbages. Wash and drain the water. Peel the potatoes and cut it into small cubes. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces.











Heat oil in a kadhai. I prefer mustard oil. Once the smoke comes up add the tej pata. Then add the cabbage and stir. Cover it up and let it cook for a couple of minutes. By now the cabbage will give out the water. It is time to add the haldi, jeera, dhania and red chili powder. Give it a stir and cover it cooking over low flame. Add the cubed potatoes and tomatoes. Stir it again and add salt and sugar as per your taste. Cover and let it cook in the water the cabbage gives out. It will take sometime for the cabbage, potatoes and the tomatoes to get cooked. Increase the flame and cook till the water dries up completely. You can find the oil leaving at the sides. This shows the curry is ready to be served. Add garam masala and put it in the serving bowl.

Simple Niramish Bandhakopir tarkari is ready to be served with rice or if you prefer with roti or paratha.


I have added fried ilish macher matha that had been lying in the fridge. If you want to add fried fish head, it is best to break them up into small pieces and add just before the water dries up completely.

16 comments:

  1. wow.........simple and lovely curry dear.....I remember my mom using this traditional vegitable cutter....even today she uses the same to cut the veggies.

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  2. hey Gouri..
    Thanx a lot for stopping by vazhayila..
    Cabbage curry looks awesome with the spices..
    keep rocking..
    Cheers!!!

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  3. Thanks for your nice words on my blog Gouri. You have nice blog too. Bandhakopi with macher matha is one of my fav dishes.:-)

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  4. First time here Gouri u have lovely blog dear ..
    cabbage curry looks awesome

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  5. Simple & Different cabbage fry,Thanks for visiting my blog & ur lovely comment.

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  6. Prasu, nice to see you here. Thanks for stopping by. The traditional veg cutter can be found in many homes till now...I use it sometimes...

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  7. Hi Sarah Naveen,
    Thanks for your the nice words and for visiting my small space. Hope to see you again.

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  8. Thanks Sharmila for stopping by. Yes, macher matha creats a different taste...certainly increases the flavour.

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  9. Hi Prasukitchen, thanks for visiting. You too have such a lovely blogspot. Please visit again.

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  10. Hi my kitchen,
    Thanks for stopping and the sweet comment.

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  11. dear Gouri, thanks for dropping by, love the simplicity of the tarkari, my bengali maid keeps mentioning bonthi to me.

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  12. Hi Pari, thanks for visiting my blogspot...the nice words too...please visit again to share your view...

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  13. Simple and lovely curry
    http://padhuskitchen.blogspot.com/

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  14. Hi Padhu,
    Thanks for stopping by. Will visit your blogspot...like to see you here again...

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  15. First time I am commenting here. Just wanted to say that your mulo recipe brought me back this time around. Looking for some easy recipes to make to incorporate vegetable into my diet. Great work here.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Torsha, welcome and you will find many simple recipes here. Hope you like them and look forward to seeing you again.
      :)

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