Cabbage Pachadi is a spicy and savory South Indian chutney that comes together quickly using a few simple ingredients. Serve this versatile accompaniment with idli, dosa, or vada (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).
Here are a few more pachadi recipes that you may like – Sorakaya Pachadi, Beetroot Pachadi, Tomato Pachadi, Kerala Style Pineapple Pachadi, and Vendakka Pachadi.
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About Cabbage Pachadi
Cabbage Pachadi (Muttaikose Chutney, Cabbage Chutney) is a delicious South Indian style chutney made using shredded cabbage as its main ingredient.
This chutney is super easy to make and comes together quickly using a few simple pantry ingredients.
Serve it with South Indian meals of rasam, sambar, rice, thoran, etc, or with your breakfast recipes such as dosa, idli, uttapam, etc.
This recipe is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. You can double or triple it too.
Ingredients
Cabbage – Try to buy organic cabbage for the best taste and health benefits.
Lentils – This pachadi recipe uses two lentils (dal), split and husked black gram (white urad dal), and Bengal gram lentil (chana dal).
Oil – I use vegetable oil to make cabbage pachadi recipe but for a more authentic taste you can use sesame oil or coconut oil.
Tamarind – The addition of tamarind give a nice tangy taste to the chutney. If tamarind paste is not available, then you can use lime juice for the tang.
Others – You will also need asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, Kashmiri dry red chilies, and salt.
To make a gluten-free pachadi, skip adding hing.
The use of Kashmiri dry red chili will give it a nice color, without making it too spicy. If you like spicy chutney, then use any hot chili.
For Tempering – To temper the pachadi, you will need oil, black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies.
How To Make Cabbage Pachadi
Cook The Cabbage
Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add
- 1 teaspoon white urad dal
- 1 teaspoon chana dal
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 Kashmiri dry red chilies
and saute until they turn slightly brown (50-60 seconds), stirring frequently.
Add 2 cups of shredded cabbage to the pan and mix well.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking.
Once the cabbage is cooked, remove the lid of the pan.
Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon tamarind paste to the pan and saute for a minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down completely.
Blend The Chutney
Transfer the mixture to the small jar of a blender along with ¼ cup water and grind to make a smooth chutney. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.
Add some more water if the pachadi is thick for your liking.
Check for salt and tamarind paste and add more if required.
Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.
Temper The Pachadi
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small pan.
Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, 10-12 curry leaves, and 1-2 whole dry red chilies, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. Serve.
Tip – Save some tempering for garnishing.
Serving Suggestions
This pachadi is best served at room temperature. If you have refrigerated the pachadi, reheat it in a microwave for a few seconds to bring it down to room temperature.
I prefer to serve cabbage pachadi along with my South Indian meals, which comprise dal, sambar, rice, thoran/poriyal, sabzi, and elai vadam on the side. It also tastes great with rasam rice or sambar rice combinations.
I also serve it with dosa, idli, vada, uttapam, or even paniyarams. You can serve it with roti or tawa paratha too.
Storage Suggestions
This cabbage pachadi can last for upto a week, when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure you use a clean and dry spoon, every time you serve this pachadi from the container.
If you are reheating it, heat only the amount you want to serve. Reheating, again and again, will decrease its shelf life.
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Recipe Card
Cabbage Pachadi Recipe
Ingredients
For The Pachadi
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon split and husked black gram (white urad dal)
- 1 teaspoon Bengal gram lentil (chana dal)
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 2-3 whole Kashmiri dry red chili (stalks removed)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon tamarind paste (or to taste)
For tempering:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1-2 whole dry red chilies
Instructions
Cook The Cabbage
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add urad dal, chana dal, asafetida, cumin seeds, and dry red chilies and saute until they turn slightly brown (50-60 seconds), stirring frequently.
- Add cabbage to the pan and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking.
- Once the cabbage is cooked, remove the lid of the pan.
- Add salt and tamarind paste to the pan and saute for a minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down completely.
Blend The Chutney
- Transfer the mixture to the small jar of a blender along with ¼ cup water and grind to make a smooth chutney. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.
- Add some more water if the pachadi is thick for your liking.
- Check for salt and tamarind paste and add more if required.
- Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.
Temper The Pachadi
- Heat oil in a small pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the chutney and mix well. Serve.
- Tip – Save some tempering for garnishing.
Pragna Sengupta
Love your recipes Neha. They are easy to make, nutritional and specific.
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear 🙂
Sathya
Made this today Neha. Came out well. Thanks for the recipe.