Crisp and delicious, this Indian-inspired cabbage curry will be your next favorite side dish! A simple 15-minute recipe that is highly versatile and goes well with many Asian mains.

This dry version of Indian cabbage curry will leave you craving more! This dish features crunchy cabbage and peas cooked in various aromatics, giving it tons of flavor. I love serving mine with rice or Indian flatbreads like plain parathas.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Crunchy, spicy, and packed with flavors
- Highly versatile and customizable - add-in and substitution ideas are provided below!
- Healthy, nutritious, and high in fiber
- Ready in 15 minutes!
🥬What you will need
📃Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cabbage - I am using green cabbage here. Red cabbage will also work, but you will need to cook it for slightly longer.
🔪How to make
Toasting spices - Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok over medium-high. Once the oil is heated, add cumin and mustard seeds. Fry for 1 minute or until they start to sizzle.
Saute aromatics - Stir in garlic and fry until fragrant. Adjust heat to low, then add ground turmeric and chili powder. Cook for another minute.
Cooking cabbage - Turn up the heat to high, and add shredded cabbage. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes or until the cabbage is tender yet crisp. Add green peas and fry for another minute. Your cabbage curry is ready to be served!
✅Helpful tips
- Prep all ingredients beforehand - Stir-frying is a quick process requiring constant stirring. Hence, I recommend prepping your ingredients before cooking and keeping them near you!
- Drain cabbage well - Excess moisture will cause the cabbage to steam rather than fry, yielding a soggy texture.
- Using a wok - This will ensure the ingredients cook evenly and prevent veggies from leaping out of the pan when tossing.
- Adjusting cooking time - Frying time will vary depending on how soft you want your cabbage to be. Following the recommended cooking time will yield a tender yet crunchy texture. If you prefer softer cabbage, increase the cooking time to around 10 minutes.
- Using coleslaw mix - Substitute cabbage with a huge bag of coleslaw mix to cut down on chopping time! Or, you can shred your cabbage in a food processor.
✨Variations and add-ins
Veggies - Feel free to add other kinds of veggies to this Indian cabbage curry, like bell pepper, tomatoes, baby corn, and green beans.
Aromatic and spices - Customize this dish by adding other ingredients that sound good! Garam masala, minced ginger, and curry leaves are some great add-ins.
Adjusting the spice level - To make this less spicy, you can substitute chili powder with a mild curry powder.
Adding some protein - Make this dish more satisfying by adding some protein. I love using pan-fried seitan chicken, but pan-fried tofu, tempeh, and veggie ground also work.
🍚How to serve
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this cabbage curry:
- Indian bread - Vegan roti, naan, idli
- Rice - Basmati, Jasmine rice, chickpea pulao, biryani, cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option
- Indian main dishes - Madras curry, moong masoor dal, soya chunks manchurian
❄️Storing suggestions
Fridge - Cabbage curry can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer - This dish can be frozen for 3 months. I recommend portioning it out using small containers, so you will only take out what you need.
Reheating - Allow frozen cabbage curry to thaw overnight in the fridge. You can then reheat it in a microwave or a pan. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too dry.
🍽️More vegetable side dishes
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📖 Recipe
Cabbage Curry (Indian Style)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 6 cups shredded cabbage
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok overmedium-high. Once the oil is heated, add cumin and mustard seeds. Fry for 1minute or until they start to sizzle.
- Stir in garlic and fry until fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Adjust heat to low, then add ground turmeric and chili powder. Cook for another minute.
- Turn up the heat to high, and add shredded cabbage. Stir-fry for 4-6 minutes or until the cabbage is tender yet crisp. You can cook it for longer, up to 10 minutes, if you prefer a softer cabbage.
- Add green peas and fry for another minute. Your cabbage curry is ready to be served!
Notes
- Prep all ingredients beforehand - Stir-frying is a quick process requiring constant stirring. Hence, I recommend prepping your ingredients before cooking and keeping them near you!
- Drain cabbage well - Excess moisture will cause the cabbage to steam rather than fry, yielding a soggy texture.
- Using a wok - This will ensure the ingredients cook evenly and prevent veggies from leaping out of the pan when tossing.
- Using coleslaw mix - Substitute cabbage with a huge bag of coleslaw mix to cut down on chopping time! Or, you can shred your cabbage in a food processor.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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