spicy indian cabbage & yellow split mung beans

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cabbage garlic ginger cilantro jalapenos mung beans

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(contributed by Alison)
This wonderful and interesting recipe is based on one from The Indian Vegetarian, by Neelam Batra. You never run out of things to make with your veggies when you add Indian food to your repertoire! I find split yellow mung beans (mung dal) at Sagaya. You could try this with red lentils instead (don’t soak them first) and let me know how it turns out. I think red lentils would turn into mush, though. But would probably taste just great!

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 cup sliced scallions (use minced onions in a pinch)
5 jalapeno peppers, skin puncture to prevent bursting
1 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro, soft stems included
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup finally chopped fresh or canned tomato
1 medium or 2 small cabbages (1 ½ to 2 pounds), quartered, cored, and finely sliced
½ cup dried split yellow mung beans, or dal (if you have time, soak them in cold water 4 hours or overnight)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook the ginger and garlic, stirring, until golden, 1-2 minutes.
2.  Add and cook the scallions, jalapenos, and cilantro for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Cook for a few seconds and add the tomato, cabbage, and mung beans.
3.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the cabbage wilts, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the dal is tender, 20 to 30 minutes or so. If you’ve soaked the dal first, you’ll probably only need 20 minutes, and you might not need to add extra water. The unsoaked dal, though, will likely need a little water added during this process to keep everything from sticking and to cook properly.  Just keep an eye on it when you uncover and stir.