Cabbage Paruppu usili recipe

Cabbage paruppu usili, a traditional tamil brahmin recipe, made with lentils and veggies, a perfect accompaniment for rice. Generally we make paruppu usili with beans, broad beans and cluster beans. My mother in law is an expert in making Paruppu usili and she makes Vazhaipoo paruppu usili always. Also i learnt to cook paruppu usili from her only. We always make the steamed version of paruppu usili in our house. Never tasted the non steamed version also never tried at home too. The non steamed version involves little extra oil, so i always prefer the steamed version. But last week i casually tried this version of paruppu usili with beans. It was quite good and shared the picture in Jeyashri's kitchen instagram too. Many asked me for the recipe and here comes the recipe of cabbage paruppu usili with step by step pictures and video.

Do not forget to check the notes section at the end of the post to see the tips.

Cabbage paruppu usili

• Recipe Cusine: Indian
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook time: 35 Minutes
• Serves: 4-5
• Author: Jeyashri
• Recipe Category: Lunch | Dinner
• Description: Raw mango thogayal, Raw mango chutney, a flavourful chutney | thogayal recipe using mango and other Indian condiments.

    Cabbage  3 cups (finely chopped)
    Toor dal  1/2 cup
    Chana dal  1/2 cup
    Red chili  5-6
    Oil  3 -4 tblsp
    Curry leaves   few
    Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
    Asfoetida  2 pinch
    Salt  as needed
    Mustard seeds  1/2 tsp
    Urad dal  1/2 tsp

Method  :

• Soak the chana dal and toor dal along with red chilis.
• I used kashmiri red chili so i added little more. Add red chili as per your family's taste.
• Soak minimum for 1 hour. My mother in law used to soak overnight and make paruppu usili next day. 
• Chop the cabbage finely. 
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Once the dal turns brown add the chopped cabbage.
• Add salt and let it cook.
• The cabbage i get here gets cooked very fast, i don't sprinkle water.
• If needed sprinkle water and cook the cabbage and once done, switch off.
• Keep it aside.
• Drain the water from the soaked dal and grind it smoothly along with turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida.
• Remember we have added salt in cabbage too. 
• Do not add water while grinding. 
• Let this be a thick fine paste. 
• In a heavy bottomed pan, add 3-4 tblsp and add the ground dal paste.
• Stir it continuously.
• Let this cook on a medium low flame.
• Let this cook till the dal mixture becomes like a sandy texture. 
• It will take 12- 15 minutes for this quantity.
• Be careful not to burn it.
• Once the dal mixture comes to a sandy texture, add the cooked cabbage. 
• Mix well.
• Check for salt.
• Let this cook for 3-5 minutes in a low flame.
• Add in the curry leaves.
• Switch off the flame.
• Paruppu usili tastes best with mor kuzhmabu, vatha kuzhambu and milagu kuzhambu. 

Notes:

1. Instaed of cabbage you can use beans, avarakkai(broad beans), capsicum, banana stem(vazhaithandu), banana flower, broccoli or even onions too. 
2. As cabbage shrinks in quantity after cooked, i used 3 cups of it, if using beans or any other veggies like broad beans, broccoli use little less of the veggie.
3. Add chilis according to your preference, but cabbage gives a slight sweetish taste, so add chilis to the cabbage paruppu usili accordingly.

  

                                                    Video of cabbage paruppu usili

Method with step by step pictures :

• Soak the chana dal and toor dal along with red chilis.
• I used kashmiri red chili so i added little more. Add red chili as per your family's taste.
• Soak minimum for 1 hour. My mother in law used to soak overnight and make paruppu usili next day. 

• Chop the cabbage finely. 
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Once the dal turns brown add the chopped cabbage.
• Add salt and let it cook.

• The cabbage i get here gets cooked very fast, i don't sprinkle water.
• If needed sprinkle water and cook the cabbage and once done, switch off.
• Keep it aside.
• Drain the water from the soaked dal and grind it smoothly along with turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida.

• Remember we have added salt in cabbage too. 
• Do not add water while grinding. 
• Let this be a thick fine paste. 
• In a heavy bottomed pan, add 3-4 tblsp and add the ground dal paste.

• Stir it continuously.
• Let this cook on a medium low flame.
• Let this cook till the dal mixture becomes like a sandy texture. 
• It will take 12- 15 minutes for this quantity.
• Be careful not to burn it.

• Once the dal mixture comes to a sandy texture, add the cooked cabbage. 
• Mix well.
• Check for salt.
• Let this cook for 3-5 minutes in a low flame.
• Add in the curry leaves.

• Switch off the flame.
• Paruppu usili tastes best with mor kuzhmabu, vatha kuzhambu and milagu kuzhambu. 

Notes:

1. Instaed of cabbage you can use beans, avarakkai(broad beans), capsicum, banana stem(vazhaithandu), banana flower, methi leaves, broccoli or even onions too. 
2. As cabbage shrinks in quantity after cooked, i used 3 cups of it, if using beans or any other veggies like broad beans, broccoli use little less of the veggie.
3. Add chilis according to your preference, but cabbage gives a slight sweetish taste, so add chilis to the cabbage paruppu usili accordingly.