Rajma Sabji with Cabbage

(If you are new to cooking Indian food, please read the entire post, I’ve shared some useful tips)

If you love Indian food, try this quick and healthy sabji which features kidney beans (rajma) and thinly sliced cabbage. Easy, flavorful and delicious!

One of the most requested recipe is quick easy side dishes, and today I am sharing one that you will love. This flavor packed rajma sabji with cabbage is easy to make . It is fast, simple, and has kidney beans/rajma for protein.

If you are skeptical to buy all those exotic spices just for one dish, don't worry! The spices used in this recipe are available at most local grocery stores (with the exception of Hing/Asofoetida). This is optional and you don't have to go out of your way to buy this. [Just to give you a quick geek note - this is a staple spice in most South Indian kitchens]

Cabbage is one of the main ingredients of the dish. One of the key things to keep in mind when you prepare this dish is to watch out for soggy cabbage (no one likes a soggy cabbage). Keep it tender crisp. That is the key!

Ingredient Run Down - KIDNEY BEANS/ RAJMA

I use canned kidney beans for the sabji recipe, which saves me a ton of time. You can definitely use dried beans. Soak the beans overnight and pressure cook them before using in the rajma sabji with cabbage. Refer this link for more information on the dried beans to cooked beans conversion. Add the kidney beans or rajma as soon as the cabbage is tender crisp. Once you add the rajma, there is not much cooking involved.

Ingredient Run Down - GREEN CHILLIES & GINGER/GARLIC

I use Serrano pepper in the recipe. If you want to make it less spicy, remove the veins and seeds. You could also use any other fresh green chillies of your choice. Adjust the quantity to your taste.

Ginger-garlic is a typical flavor combination. These are easily available and have a lot of health benefits and medicinal values as well. You can buy a bottle of ginger and garlic paste from your local Indian store or make fresh. I usually make it fresh - just crushing ginger and garlic using mortar and pestle - but you can always use the ready made ones for the recipe. They might have a slightly (minuscule) different taste due to the preservatives used.

Ingredient Run Down - CUMIN

One of the spices I use in the rajma sabji with cabbage is Cumin seeds which is called jeera in Hindi. They are these tiny seeds that aid in digestion. Growing up, there was always a pot of warm cumin seed water at home to drink. My grandmother would boil water with jeera or cumin seeds. This water was consumed at meals .

Ingredient Run Down- TURMERIC

Turmeric needs no introduction. This golden spice has been in use for thousands of years in Indian cuisine and is best known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredient Run Down - HING/ASOFOETIDA

Hing is a pungent spice mainly used in Indian cooking. It adds a lot of Umami flavor to the savory dish. If you do not like the strong smell and taste, it can be a little off-putting. If you would like to try it, I will have the Amazon link below. This is an optional ingredient, but if you have it you can definitely use it in the recipe for rajma sabji with cabbage.

Powdered Hing is not gluten-free. If you are following a gluten-free diet, use Hing in the rock form and powder it using a mortar & pestle. Or omit completely.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this with steamed rice and since this is a dry sabji, a dal or kadhi (check out the Moru Curry) would be ideal to make it a complete meal.

Is this a healthy dish?

Are you wondering about the health benefits of cabbage? It is really good for you. I am listing a few health benefits of cabbage below:

• Cabbage is low calorie (just about 20-25 calories per cup), low carb food and is packed with tons of vitamins and minerals. It is rich in vitamin B6, folate, fiber, Vitamin C, and lots of antioxidants.
• It is high in fiber, cabbage also supports digestive health
• Cabbage is a great source of Vitamin K and delivers 85% of the daily recommended intake.

Convinced now to add more cabbage in your diet? It can get boring sometimes, but try this rajma sabji with cabbage for a change from you regular stir fry(s) with cabbage.

Adding rajma or kidney beans to cabbage adds the required protein to the dish. Adding this to your diet is a great way to include a low carb, high fiber and a good source of protein to your diet. Have you checked out my slow cooker Rajma Masala recipe yet? It is super simple. Just dump everything into your slow-cooker and after a few hours, delicious rajma masala is ready for you.

ADDITIONAL NOTES - RAJMA SABJI WITH CABBAGE

• The heat comes from the use of Serrano pepper. Adjust to your taste.
• 1 cup = 250 ml. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish)
• It is a quick and easy side dish - only thing to remember is to keep the cabbage tender crisp.
• Cooking times may vary slightly depending on the stove top.
• Watch out for Turmeric Stains 🙂
• This measurement usually is enough for my family of two adults and one teen.
• I usually serve this with steamed rice, but it tastes good with rotis too.

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