Recipe of the Week:  Cabbage Kootu (Stew)

Cabbage Kootu (Stew) by Nandita Venkatesan One of my favorite dishes to make - it's incredibly warm and flavorful. Ingredients 1 large cabbage 3-4 medium carrots 1/2 cup peas  1/2 cup moong dal 1/2  cup grated coconut 1-2 green chilis 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tsp mustard seeds 3-4 curry leaves 1 pinch of asafoetida powder ( or garlic powder) 1/4 tsp turmeric oil + salt to taste  cilantro to garnish Step 1. Soak moong dal for 30 mins in 1 cup of water. Grind coconut, green chilis, cumin seeds, and 1/2 cup water to form a paste. Set aside. Step 2. Add 1.5 tablespoons of oil to your Instant pot or pressure cooker. Add optional asafoetida powder and wait for it to splutter. Once the oil starts to splutter, add curry leaves and mustard seeds. Step 3. Finely chop the cabbage and add to the pot. Wait for the cabbage to reduce in size - then add diced carrots and peas. Salt thoroughly and add turmeric. Step 4. After the vegetables are par cooked for a few minutes, add the dal and enough water to just cover the vegetables and lentils. Close the lid and pressure cook for 7 minutes. Wait for the pressure to naturally release.  Step 5. Put the instant pot in Saute mode. Add the paste and stir 1-2 minutes. Taste intermittently to ensure there is no raw coconut taste.  Step 6. Garnish with fresh cilantro  - serve with rice. Stovetop method: If you are cooking without an instant pot 1) Soak the dal for 30 minutes 2) Boil the dal in a sauce pot for 10-12 minutes. Cook your lentils with a teaspoon of oil or ghee to keep from foaming and spilling over. 3) Then add the lentils to the vegetable mixture (after step 4). Nandita Venkatesan       A recent transplant to the UWS, Nandita enjoys getting involved in her neighborhood and getting outdoors. While she mostly makes Indian food, she loves making simplified versions of dishes that are easy to prepare on weekdays and incorporate local ingredients. Her go-tos are fun and tasty vegetable and lentil stews. Favorite dishes include rhubarb rice, aloo saag, cabbage kootu (a rich and thick cabbage, peas, and carrot stew).