Indian Warm Cabbage Salad

 I love this warm cabbage salad.  Its Anjum Anand's recipe from Indian Food Made Easy. I was so happy when my mom got me her cookbook a few years ago.  The funny thing is that I mostly just make this salad.  In Kansas I don't use curry leaves so I use frozen basil leaves (crazy??? but it works) I've been using other nuts than peanuts because of the baby.  I like cashews. 

Simple and yummy well worth buying mustard seeds, nigella seeds, urad dal and curry leaves even if thats the only thing I use them for!  Mustard seeds double as a childrens toy....maybe not but Joe like it!

Everyday Coleslaw and Summer Rolls

 I have been eating this coleslaw just about everyday for the last month.  I posted my mothers Ramen Coleslaw way back in 2010 this is a new version of that salad.  I've taken out the Ramen as it turns out the Baby also likes to eat uncooked Ramen and I would rather he did not. But not to worry the taste is even better than before.  I've been eating it as a side with dinners and with/on a sandwich for lunch.  It even makes a great low-cal snack in a Summer Roll.

Everyday Coleslaw
makes about 3 cups

2 cups of shredded cabbage
2 med carrots shredded
2 spring onions sliced thin
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp chinkiang vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp roasted sesames
salt and pepper (and hot pepper if you like)

Mix and Eat


Coleslaw Summer Rolls
1 Filling Snack or Light Lunch

3 pieces of rice paper (for summer rolls)
1 cup coleslaw
fresh herbs: mint, coriander, basil, parsley

Dipping sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 chinkiang vinegar

Fill a plate or pan with warm water.  Soak one piece of rice paper until its limp.  Remove the limp rice paper and fill with 1/3 of the coleslaw.  Add fresh herbs and roll.  Repeat and eat!

 Simple and Local. Yummy right after its mixed or after a day in the fridge.  

Dakgalbi: Spicy Korean Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Rice Noodles

I loved going to Dakgalbi resterants when I lived in Korea. My friends and I always ordered extra rice noodles and sweet potatoes but there was always too much cabbage left over. Sometimes we would even order cheese. Its a lot like Tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cakes), but its more of a main meal rather than just a snack.
Dakgalbi
for 2
1 free range chicken breast
1 small sweet potato
1 cup cabbage
1 cup of rice cakes/noodles
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1-2 Tbs of Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)
1 Tbs brown suger
1 tsp oil

Cut the chicken into chunks. Peal and chop the sweet potato into thin half moons. Chop the cabbage. Mince the garlic and ginger.

Over medium heat melt the gochujang in the oil, garlic and ginger. Add the chicken and brown suger. Cover with 1 cup of water and cover with the sweet potatoes and cabbage. Let come to a low boil and cook for 15 min or until the sweet potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked. Taste and add salt or more gochujang if its not too hot for you.

Cabbage and Rice

I had a half head of cabbage in need of cooking and we haven't had rice and a few days. So I decided to make Kalam-Polow or cabbage and rice. Normally this would be made with some ground beef or lamb, but tonight I used lentils and leftover roast beef. Also forgot to buy onions so I'm using leeks. Since my husband isn't going to believe this hybrid is Iranian I figured why not add an apple too! So Kalam-Polow meets Himmel und Erde (Haven and Earth) is what's for dinner.


1 cups basmati rice, soaked for at least two hours with salt
1/2 cup brown lentils in a pot with 2 cups boiling water pored over, dash salt covered. They need to sit until soften (30min+) drain excess water.

Brown the following with the lentils:
1/2 small head green cabbage finely chopped.
1 leek finely chopped 1 portabella mushroom
1/4 cup beef
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs tomato juice
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp oil

Take off the heat and add a thinly sliced apple.

Thinly slice a potato and line the bottom a rice maker or pot with oil and potato.


Drain soaked rice and bring a big pot of water to boil. Add rice and boil until aledenta about 5 min. Drain the rice and rinse. Layer 1/3 of the rice on top of the potatoes then 1/2 of the cabbage lentil and repeat ending with rice. With the end of a wooden spoon make five steam wholes in the rice. Just stick the spoon in the rice! Put 1 tsp oil over the top. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the lid of the rice maker or pot and pop on top. Steam the rice for 30 min. I have a non-stick rice maker so my rice comes out like one nice cake. When using a pot use a non-stick one, or make life easy and just make normal rice and put the cabbage on top!!!

Here is my lovely cake of rice! Smelled so good and was well worth the effort!