Make dinner easy, healthy and delicious with this scrumptious, Indian-style cabbage rice.
Easy cabbage rice recipe
This cabbage rice is loaded with delicious Indian flavors, requires the least amount of effort to make, and it is so much more nourishing than serving plain rice for dinner. It is a one-pot recipe, and you don't have to make a separate vegetable side dish!
The spices and curry leaves add a divine, appetizing aroma that infuses the rice and the cabbage. The cabbage, shredded into ribbons, cooks to melt-in-the-mouth tenderness. I like using red cabbage when I can because it has more nutrients, but you can use green cabbage, also a very healthy choice.
There are little white lentils, urad dal, in this cabbage rice. They are sauteed with the spices when you begin the recipe and they add a wonderful crunch, as well as more nutrition, to the rice. There's some easy, rich flavor to be had from a spoonful of garam masala, and coconut milk, stirred into the rice toward the end of cooking, adds a luxurious, creamy finishing touch.
P.S. Love quick rice recipes? You might also enjoy these recipes for lemon rice, turmeric rice and tomato rice.
- Vaishali
Recipe card
Cabbage Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon urad dal (or crushed peanuts)
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida or hing (hing)
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves (see substitutions in faqs above)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (or 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1-inch knob ginger (grated)
- 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 3 cups cabbage (about ½ a head of a medium cabbage, finely shredded. Measure after shredding)
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice (uncooked)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds to the pot and when they sputter, add urad dal and asafetida.
- Add onions and curry leaves. Stir in a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the grated ginger and mix.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne, ground coriander and ground cumin. Stir to mix and saute for a minute.
- Stir in the shredded cabbage and mix it. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage is slightly tender. Add the rice and garam masala to the pot. Mix it in with the cabbage.
- Add coconut milk and vegetable stock or water to the pot. Add salt to taste - the liquid should taste slightly saltier than what you'd like your cabbage rice to taste. Mix well and let the liquid come to a boil.
- Turn heat to low and let the rice cook until it has absorbed much of the water. Stir the rice one last time, then place a tight lid on the pot, and let the rice cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Wait 10 minutes before removing the lid.
- Serve hot or warm.
Nutrition Information
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How to make cabbage rice
Heat oil in large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds to the pot and when they sputter, add urad dal and asafetida.
Add onions and curry leaves to pot. Stir in a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the grated ginger to the pot and mix.
Add tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne, ground coriander and ground cumin. Stir to mix and saute for a minute.
Stir in the shredded cabbage and mix it. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage is slightly tender.
Add the rice and garam masala to the pot. Mix it in with the cabbage.
Add coconut milk and vegetable stock or water to the pot. Add salt to taste - the liquid should taste slightly saltier than what you'd like your cabbage rice to taste. Mix well and let the liquid come to a boil.
Lower heat to low and let the rice cook until it has absorbed much of the water. Stir the rice one last time, then place a tight lid on the pot, turn heat to low, and let the rice cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Wait 10 minutes before removing the lid. Serve hot.
Cabbage Rice FAQs
Dried curry leaves don't have much flavor, but if it's the only option you have, you can use them. Use the same quantity as fresh - about 24 dried curry leaves. A better option would be to substitute the curry leaves with two tablespoons of fresh, chopped cilantro.
Yes, saute all the ingredients on the saute function of the Instant Pot. Add the stock or water, close the Instant Pot lid, and set to the "rice" function. Do a manual release or quick-release after 10 minutes.
You can make cabbage rice with any type of rice, but you won't get the long, separate grains of rice as you would with basmati rice. The dish will still taste great.
Store the cabbage rice in the fridge for up to four days. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw and reheat on stove or in microwave.
More tasty cabbage recipes
First published on Nov. 11, 2010. Updated and republished on Sept. 23, 2024
Pamela says
I meant to say pot pie (not roast).
Pamela says
I made this last night. What a recipe! It tasted so good. It is definitely a keeper. I even substituted dry mustard in the spices because I had no mustard seeds. A bit of madras curry because I didn't have the curry leaves. I also used regular cabbage, not red. Can you imagine? It was still fantastic -- can't wait to make it with the best ingredients. I can always rely on Vaishali's recipes -- She's a great cook! Her pot roast is incredible too. Thank you Vaishali for all that you do!
Vaishali says
Aw, thank you dear Pamela. ❤️ Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Smart thinking with the subs!
John Skiggn says
Hi Vaishali,
This recipe doesn't list how much asafetida to use, can you please update it? Thanks.
Vaishali says
My mistake! Added - it’s 1/4th of a teaspoon.
mindhaven says
I tried this at home last week, combining it with cucumber raita and chickpeas curry (my husband won't do without a curry!)....it was absolutely marvelous, no one even guessed that there was cabbage in the rice! thanks so much for the lovely recipe.
Amatuer Cook says
"I love animals, and I love great food. But I don't care to mix the two."
WELL SAID!!!
Supriya says
Hi Vaishali - Thanks for this tasty and easy cabbage rice. I made it as part of my Thanksgiving menu, it turned out so well and was loved by all. A keeper for me.
KamalKitchen says
hi there,
Have always used cabbage in a chinese fried rice but never with indian spices..this is a must try.
thanks,
pb
thisamericandiet says
Just stumbled upon your blog. LOVE IT. So much useful information for vegans! Not to mention delicious recipes. Thanks!
Samarpita says
Update: I tried it tonight. Came out really well. A keeper. I stir-fried some peanuts and added when serving to give it a bit of crunch. We had ours with some freshly made guacamole and pickle. Thanks for the great recipe.