Bandhakopir ghonto | Bengali style cabbage stir-fry
Cabbage cut into thin strips and then fried along with whole and powdered spices.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-seized cabbage
- 1 no potato optional
- 1 no tomato
- 1 dried bayleaf
- 2 dried red chilies
- 2 nos green cardamom
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 3 nos cloves
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp Bengali garam masala powder
- 2 tsp ghee
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- 2-3 nos green chilies
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Discard the outer leaf of the cabbage and cut the cabbage into segments. Then finely shred each segment into thin strips.
- Take a colander and thoroughly wash the cabbage and leave it in the colander for the water to completely drain out.
- Peel the potato and cut it into one-inch cubes. Wash them under running water.
- In a wok, heat mustard oil and add dried bayleaf. Then add the dried red chilies, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves one after the other. Once they have browned, add the cumin seeds.
- Cumin seeds brown very fast. So keep the heat in check and add the cubed potatoes to this
- Fry the potatoes on medium to low heat for half a minute and then cover and let the potatoes fry on low heat for two to three more minutes.
- Take grated ginger in a bowl. Add the spice powders to this and make a paste with a little water.
- Add this spice paste to the potatoes. Stir over medium heat for a few seconds and then add the chopped tomatoes. Give everything a good mix and cover and let the tomatoes cook.
- After a couple of minutes, add the green peas. Stir and again cover.
- After about five minutes, add the shredded cabbage. Don't be overwhelmed by the quantity and even though it looks like a lot, cabbage will reduce in quantity as it cooks.
- Sprinkle very little salt (it's difficult to understand the quantity of salt at this stage). Give it a mix and cover this and lower the heat. Let the cabbage slowly cook in its own moisture along with the tomatoes and potatoes.
- Every once in a while, uncover and give it a stir. Then again cover and let the cabbage cook.
- Once the cabbage has been reduced and cooked very well, sprinkle sugar and adjust the salt.
- Finally, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, ghee and finish with some split green chilies.
- Serve with rice, roti or with khichuri.