Simple Cabbage recipe/ Bandhakopi-r Chenchki

While in hostel, I promised of not having certain things for at least 5 years. Cabbage topped the list. Cabbage was a regular candidate in atleast one of our meal menu. Anyway, though I try to avoid cabbage now, still I cannot totally escape from it.

In my childhood days, cabbage was not available throughout the year. This was true for other vegetables also. So, there was a clear cut distinction between summer vegetables like parwal/stripe gourd, raw Jackfruit and winter vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower. The taste of cabbage and cauliflower of those days makes me nostalgic now. Throughout my life I’ll really remember the taste of cabbage with the green peas- a  dish with very simple ingredients, little hot and little sweet- ahhh will never taste that heavenly dish made by dida again!

Dida, my father’s mother, and the best cook I had ever seen. She knew simple yet innovative and tasty recipes, different variations of cooking of the same vegetable.

Few days back, there was a post in FB, wherein somebody wanted to know about some different recipes of cabbage other than the usual ones. Within an hour, the post was flooded with answers- from Cabbage Manchurian to South Indian style cabbage- but there was one mention about Bandhakopir Chenchki. Thanks to that post. It reminded me the taste of chenchki that dida used to prepare and after a long time, actually for the first time, I prepared it.

Chenchki, as called in Bangla, is usually a dish where you cut any vegetable either raddish or cabbage or potato into small pieces, season with paanchporon, or kalo jeera and cooked without any ground spices, only with salt and turmeric.

Here’s the full preparation.

Ingredients

500 grams cabbage

2 potatoes Medium

2 Tbsp Mustard oil

2 green chilly

Salt as per taste

Turmeric

Sugar as per taste

Red chili powder (optional)

Kalojeera for seasoning

Preparation 

Wash the cabbage and the potatoes.

Cut the cabbage into very small pieces. I then wash it again and put into hot boiled water with a pinch of salt. This is for the smell and also a precaution against the insecticides.

Next cut the potatoes into medium cubes.

Cooking  

Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot enough fry the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.

Now in the same oil put ½ tsp of kalojeera and slit green chillies. You’ll sense the sweet aroma of this combination. Do not let the chilies burn. Now add the cabbage. Add salt and turmeric as per taste and cover and cook in medium flame.

After 10 minutes, add the potatoes. At this point add red chili powder and sugar as per taste. Cover and cook.

Check if the dish needs water or not. Usually you do not need to add extra water for cabbage; but if you see that the cabbage or the potatoes are not cooked yet, and there’s a little water left, then you can sprinkle water from the top. Continue to cook again.

Remove it from heat when both cabbage and potatoes are cooked and water had dried up.

Serve with steamed rice.