Cabbage Rice
A simple and flavorful one-pot vegan rice dish is loaded with vitamins from cabbage and the perfect heat from fresh ginger and green chilies
A simple and flavorful one-pot vegan rice dish is loaded with vitamins from cabbage and the perfect heat from fresh ginger and green chilies
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1/4 teaspoon asefetida (optional for gluten free)
- 15-20 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon ginger (grated)
- 4 green chilies (minced)
- 8 cups shredded cabbage packed
- 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 3 tablespoon fresh coconut (grated)
- Carbohydrate 45.797580729632 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 22.1046396107227 g
- Fiber 3.20604479145615 g
- Protein 8.13251031252049 g
- Saturated Fat 3.03666583687971 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (86g)
- Sodium 6.49195833338726 mg
- Sugar 42.5915359381759 g
- Trans Fat 1.12477208464775 g
- Calories 408 calories
Step-by-step
- Rinse the rice 2-3 times and then soak the rice in 4 cups of warm water for 2 hours. Drain the rice and keep aside.
- Turn Instant Pot to Saute(more) mode. Once the ‘hot’ sign displays add oil and asafetida. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop.
- Add peanuts and sauté for a minute. Add turmeric, curry leaves, ginger and green chili. Mix everything together and cook until peanuts are golden brown.
- Add grated cabbage and salt. Mix again.
- Add drained rice and gently mix everything together. Add 2 cups of water.
- Close Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Press the ‘Rice’ button. Allow Natural Pressure Release. Open Instant Pot and pour lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and coconut.
- Enjoy hot!
Soaking basmati rice in warm water for two hours before cooking hydrates the starch granules fully, preventing the grains from breaking down under pressure. When raw rice meets hot oil and moisture alongside shredded cabbage, a complex interplay of sulfurous aromatics from the brassica family and pungent heat from fresh ginger unfolds. Mustard seeds release volatile allyl isothiocyanates when popped in hot oil, creating a sharp, nutty baseline that tempers the natural sweetness of the steamed cabbage. Peanuts introduce thermal stability through their fat content, preventing the spices from scorching during the initial sauté phase while adding textural contrast.
Achieving distinct grains requires careful moisture management, because cabbage releases significant water as cellular walls collapse under heat. Limiting added liquid to precisely two cups for two cups of basmati rice balances the hydrological output of the melting vegetable matter. Letting the Instant Pot undergo a natural pressure release prevents residual starch from boiling violently, which protects the structural integrity of both the rice and the softened leaves.
Finished dishes benefit from the acidic addition of fresh lemon juice at the very end of cooking, as volatile citrus compounds degrade rapidly under sustained heat. Grated fresh coconut and cilantro applied after pressure release maintain their bright, unheated fat profiles and aromatic top notes.
