This Indian style Red Cabbage Stir-fry or sambharo is a delicious warm side dish. Shredded red cabbage is sauteed in a simple Indian tempering/vaghar.
During the winter season, I like to use red cabbage for my Indian recipes as it is easily available and cheap. I tend to make this easy stir-fry recipe and winter slaw on rotation.
Sambharo is a warm Indian salad that is made with various grated vegetables and simple Indian spices. Think of it a little bit like an Indian slaw.
Most common recipes are carrot sambharo and papaya no sambharo .
Usually, I would make gujarati sambharo with white cabbage or green cabbage but it tastes equally good with vibrant red cabbage.
The vegetables are sauteed on a medium-high heat so they cook fast and retain crunch and colour.
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Red cabbage – also known as purple cabbage. You can use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to shred the cabbage.
Green chillies – slit or cut.
Oil
Mustard seeds – black mustard seeds are most common for sambharo stir fry.
Lemon juice or lime juice
Sugar – typical in Gujarati recipes, it helps to balance the flavour.
Optional – fenugreek seeds
Alternatively, use panch phoran.
You can also add curry leaves.
Add in sliced green bell peppers for extra crunch.
Method
The method is pretty simple. You want to heat the oil and add mustard seeds and hing once its hot. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter – it releases the flavour. Then switch the heat to high and tip in the cabbage and green chillies. You want to stir fry on high heat so the vegetables retain some texture. Season with salt, sugar. I like to add the lemon juice once the sambharo is taken off the heat.
Serving suggestion
Serve Indian red cabbage stir-fry as part of a Gujarati thali . You’ll find a vegetarian curry, typically a Gujarati shaak , gujarati dal , basmati rice and rotli .
Storage
Store Indian red cabbage recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Can be served chilled or warm.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe as the cabbage will loose its crunch.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Indian Red Cabbage Stir-fry
Equipment
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 2 green chillies slit into two
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan or wok on high heat, add mustard seeds.
- After 8-10 seconds add green chillies.
- OPTIONAL – add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and green peppers if using.
- Fry everything for 10-20 seconds and add red cabbage.
- Turn the heat high and add salt and sugar.
- Cook the stir-fry/sambharo just for 2 minutes.
- Turn of the heat, add lemon juice.
- Mix well.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in October 2015.
Indian Red Cabbage Stir-fry
Equipment
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 2 green chillies slit into two
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan or wok on high heat, add mustard seeds.
- After 8-10 seconds add green chillies.
- OPTIONAL - add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and green peppers if using.
- Fry everything for 10-20 seconds and add red cabbage.
- Turn the heat high and add salt and sugar.
- Cook the stir-fry/sambharo just for 2 minutes.
- Turn of the heat, add lemon juice.
- Mix well.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Mixed Seeds Chikki is an Indian style bar made with mixed seeds. It’s sweetened with jaggery and you can optionally add cardamom and nutmeg for extra flavour.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in December 2013.
During the winter months, my Mum would always prepare different variations of chikki – a brittle that is commonly made with jaggery (unrefined sugar) and nuts.
Particularly in January to coincide with Makarsakranti, Indian kitchens are filled with soft crushed peanut chikki , til chikki , mamra na ladwa and mixed nut chikki .
In this recipe, I have used a mix of seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and linseeds. The seeds are first toasted to release flavour then mixed with melted jaggery and ghee. The mixture is set and cut into bars.
ingredients
- Mixed Seeds = sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & linseeds
- Jaggery – grated
- Cardamom powder or seeds
- Nutmeg powder
- Ghee
Hayley’s tips
Make sure you use a heavy bottomed pan. Ensure the heat isn’t too high as jaggery burns easily.
Storage
Store mixed seeds chikki in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep well for 1-2 weeks.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Mixed Seeds Jaggery Chikki
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 Grinder optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 4 tablespoon linseed seeds flaxseeds
- 1 cup jaggery grated
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder elaichi
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder jaiphal
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pan, roast all the seeds on the lowest heat until they smell toasted. This can take 5-10 minutes.
- Set aside to cool.
- Take 3/4 of the seeds and crush coarsely in a blender. Leave the other quarter whole.
- In a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee and add jaggery.
- Keep stirring the mixture until jaggery is completely melted. Keep the heat low and cook the jaggery just for 1 minutes or until bubbles appear on the top.
- Now add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder and all the seeds.
- Mix well.
- Spread evenly on a greased tray or on a smooth surface and roll it using rolling pin.
- Cut into your desired shape whilst the mixture is still warm.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
