Seasonal food is better, and we all know that. To start: it's fresher, it tastes even better than usual and maintains all nutrients. Nutrition-wise, eating local and fresh is the way to go for a healthier diet. It's also better for the environment: if you buy your food locally, you will drastically reduce the transportation footprint. 

Want to know what is really in season? Well, it's not hard to find out: cabbage. Sometimes overlooked, cabbage is a versatile vegetable that is packed with vitamins, calcium, and other essential nutrients. With a little magic and the help of other ingredients, you can use February — the best month to get cabbage — to cook this cabbage carrot palya. 

If you serve it as a side dish, you can keep it simple, just like in this recipe. If you are going for the main dish, you can increase its flavor by adding 1 tsp finely grated ginger, roughly chopped toasted cashews, and a squeeze of lemon towards the end of cooking. Serve it with this tasty chapati, and you're good to go. 

CABBAGE CARROT PALYA

Preparation – 20 minutes

Serves 3 – 4, as a side dish

ingredients

2 Tbsp peanut or coconut oil

½ tsp black mustard seeds

1 Tbsp split channa dal

1 tsp split urad dal

12 curry leaves

2 – 4 Tbsp water

3 cups/200g cabbage

1 medium/80g carrot

1 tsp fine rock salt

1 tsp jaggery

¼ cup/20g dried shredded coconut

preparation 

1.  Finely chop the cabbage – measuring 3 cups, peel and grate the carrot using the larger side of a box grater – measuring 1 cup. Set aside.

2. In a skillet, on medium-high heat, add the oil and mustard seeds; when the seeds turn grey and pop, add the channa and urad dal – fry until both dals are golden-brown, then add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds.

3. Turn down the heat, pour in the water and immediately add the cabbage. Cover and simmer the cabbage until cooked but still firm, stirring every few minutes – approximately 4 minutes. If there is any liquid left on the bottom, uncover and increase the heat to high until it has evaporated.

4. Stir in the grated carrot – cook 1 – 2 minutes more, uncovered, stirring until the carrot is soft.

5.  Season with salt and jaggery, sprinkle in the dried coconut – combine well. If you like, add a small amount of finely chopped fresh coriander.

suggestions 

Use a variety of cabbage (Savoy Cabbage) with dark outer leaves for a variation in deep greens. It doesn't affect the taste, but the contrast is lovely.