Cabbage kootu recipe

Cabbage kootu curry recipe

Cabbage kootu recipe with images and step by step written instructions as well as a video.

Cabbage kootu curry is a south Indian side dish recipe served with rice or chapati or bhakri  or roti. it is made with cabbage, moong dal(split yellow lentils), spices, coconut and some herbs. kooto is made in all the south Indian states, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Andhra.

Kootu is made with different vegetables or with a  mix of vegetables. The different vegetables used for kootu are snake gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, ash gourd, bottle gourd, knolkol etc. leafy vegetable are also used to make kootu. You may make it with only one vegetable or sometimes a mixture of vegetables is used too.

The lentils used may be toor dal, moong dal, masoor dal, chana dal etc. you may also use whole lentils such as green moong(green gram) or whole masoor.

Using onion and garlic is optional so you can make it with or without it as per your choice. I am not using onion or garlic in this recipe today.

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Cabbage kootu Ingredients:

How to make cabbage kootu curry

  • Moong dal – ¼ cup
  • Chana dal – 2 tbsp
  • Raw peanuts – 2 tbsp
  • Cabbage – 1 ½ cup chopped
  • Salt- 1 tsp, or as per taste
  • Jaggery – 1 tsp or as per taste
  • Water – 2 cups
  • Curry leaves - few

Grinding ingredients:

  • Green chili - 4-5
  • Black pepper seeds – ½ tsp
  • Cumin seeds -1 tsp
  • Grated coconut – ½ cup
  • turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tempering Ingredients:

  • oil - 1tbsp
  • mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
  • chana dal - 1 tsp
  • urad dal - 1 tsp
  • hing - 1/4 tsp

Cooking cabbage kootu

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  • Add chanadal, moongdal and peanuts to a cooker vessel or separator if you are using pressure cooker. 
  • Or you may cook on the stove top too. 
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  • Add water to dals and wash well changing water 2-3 times.
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  • you can see the washed dals and peanuts. 
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  • Add chopped cabbage and 1 1/2 cups water to dal.
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  • Add all the ingredients for masala to a blender jar. Fresh coconut, green chili, turmeric powder, curry leaves and black pepper seeds
  • Add 1/2 cup water and grind to fine paste.
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  • Pressure cook dals and cabbage mix for 2 whistles. 
  • Let the cooker cool naturally.
  • The cooked mix will look as shown in the image.
  • If making on stove top, boil till dals are cooked soft.
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  • The ground masala paste  looks as shown in the image.
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  • Heat oil in a pan or kadai and add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
  • Add chana dal and urad dal. Fry till dal changes color.
  • Add curry leaves.
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  • Add the ground masala paste.
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  • Mix well. 
  • Fry the ground masala for 2 minutes.
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  • Add the cooked cabbage and dal mix to the pan.
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  • Add water as per the consistency needed. I added 1 cup water.
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Add salt as per taste. I am using rock salt.

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Add jaggery or sugar as per taste. This is optional. I added 1 tsp.

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  • Boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Add chopped coriander leaves.


Switch off the flame. Cabbage kootu curry is ready to serve.

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Serve cabbage kootu curry/cabbage dal with rice or chapati, roti etc.

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