I’ve eaten curry more times than I can count. My parents got me into curries when I was just a kid, bringing Indian food over from Toronto. Then, of course, I was invited to Indian dinner parties at friends’ houses, then at hotels, and soon, too, at restaurants. Somewhere along the way, I grew to love cumin seeds and their fragrant, black-eye cap flavor.
As the wind clears off some of the leaves of the stalk, they have a beautiful, unexpected flavor that I always find just the right amount for a meal. But, being that my mom grew up eating a spice blend called Saffron Wood, I’ve struggled to find something that captures its essence while retaining all its juicy roasted goodness.
But that is where I have found my most successful curry recipe yet. Stir-fried cabbage with ground cumin and chili, right off the plant? Yes. It’s a citrus-cumin sauce, and it works like a charm with the bright taste of spring. It makes a dinner feast of today.
Cabbage is very underrated in our cookbook, Sunshine. All you have to do is boil the leaves until wilted, chop into bite-sized pieces, mix with cumin seeds, chili powder, cilantro, jalapeño (make sure the seeds are crisp, then grind them over a hot, dry pan and try not to brown the them), and serve with thin fried eggs. Bliss.
If you don’t have any left, make a curry sauce. You can keep it simple by using just a splash of the starchy basmati rice (one big ladleful) with a saute of onions and ginger and a small splash of olive oil. (A big pot of barely-boiled rice is just the thing when you want to make a good curry sauce.)
What makes this dish the only thing I’d put on a spring menu is that it is one of the first dips I pull out of the fridge the morning after a roast — I want to start the day with something light and refreshing. In this case, the verdant greens provide that. And, given the simple ingredients, I don’t have to worry too much about too much heat or spice.
When you do eat this dish as a side, put a coconut milk substitute on the side and pour it over the greens and fried eggs. This is toasty, super-tasty, and the addition of a puffed, sweet, sour, spicy, sweet, and savory mix is the perfect treat to end the day.
So. Don’t despair if you don’t eat a lot of fried eggs. No lemon wedges needed. This is the best kind of spring food.
Also: Don’t worry if you’re less than hot on the cabbage. After all, in one of the notes in our book, author Rob Lowe advises eating cabbage unadorned for the sensory reasons — that is, to have absolutely no fuss and no fuss.
Cabbage with Ground Cumin, Chili, Cilantro and Jalapeño
4 servings
This happens to be one of those days when your cabbages, onions, and potatoes run out, and your cereal is low on sugar. Your house may be cheerful and cool (if you just got out of a lecture on happiness), but you don’t feel very joyful. Give yourself a break. If you’re feeling blue, just chow down on this and savor the earthy, cool, and chewy-but-sweet taste of cabbage and peppers. Serve with fried eggs.
Ingredients
- 4 small Japanese red leaf or curly cabbage (try a combination of the two, or just one variety), trimmed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large jalapeño, deseeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 small handful cilantro leaves
For the sauce
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cooked basmati rice
- 2 large eggs
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1 cup coconut milk, preferably organic
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, onions, jalapeño, cumin seeds, chili powder, and salt, and let all the liquids dry out for a minute. Add the cabbage to the bowl and mix with a fork to evenly coat the leaves. Place the cabbage in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes. The cabbage is ready when the leaves have wilted. Drain the cabbage and pour over the rice and scramble the eggs. Serve the sauce on the side.
- Written by Melissa Clark