Cabbage Pachadi (Muttaikose Chutney) is a spicy and savory South Indian chutney that comes together quickly using simple ingredients. Serve this versatile accompaniment with idli, dosa, or vada (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

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 easy to make and comes together quickly using 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.

Here are a few more pachadi recipes

• Sorakaya Pachadi
• Tomato Pachadi
• Kerala Style Pineapple Pachadi

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 canola 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 gives a nice tangy taste to the chutney. If tamarind paste is unavailable, 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.

Using 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, brown mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies.

How To Make Cabbage Pachadi

Cook The Cabbage

Heat 2 tablespoon 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 oil in a small pan.

Once the oil is hot, add

• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 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 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 Paniyarams. You can serve it with Roti or Plain Tawa Paratha, too.

Storage Suggestions

This cabbage pachadi can last up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Ensure you use a clean and dry spoon when serving this pachadi from the container.

If you reheat it, heat only the amount you want to serve. Reheating again and again will decrease its shelf life.