Cabbage Thoran is a quick stir fry dry preparation from Kerala made of finely chopped Cabbage tempered in basic spices and cooked until it still has its crunch retained and finally finished with freshly grated Coconut
Thoran is a term reserved for all those stir fry dry preparations in Kerala Cuisine which follow the similar cooking pattern as describe above. Based on the vegetables used in this preparation there are different types of Thorans. The vegetables that are used in this dish can be Cabbage, Yard long bean, unripe Jackfruit, bitter gourd and even leafy vegetables like Green Spinach, Moringa (Drum stick leaves).
Let’s not overlook the preparations that we have been making in our own kitchen for decades now, while we rave about the vegetable stir fry preparations that everyone’s been talking about in global cuisine. Malayalis have been doing stir fry for quite some time now and Thoran served as an important preparation in Sadhya is a reminder of this preparation.
Thoran is a perfect example of the fact that simple no fuss cooking with some fresh ingredients is all that is required to create an everlasting dining experience on your senses. One of the important factor that you must take into account while making Thoran of any types is the freshness of ingredients.
Cabbage cooked in Coconut Oil tempered with basic spices like mustard seeds, turmeric powder (optional), green chilies and fresh curry leaves and finally finished off with some freshly grated coconut creates a gastronomic experience that you would want to cherish for your life time.
This dish can even remind you of Cabbage Upkari, an equally flavorful preparation from Konkani Cuisine
Make this simple veg preparation with exquisite flavors and share your feedback with us in comment section below.
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Cook time:
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Serves: 3-4

- 500 gms Cabbage-finely chopped
- 2 medium sized=125 gms Onions-finely chopped
- 1 Cup=100gms grated fresh Coconut
- 2-3 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 4-5 Green Chilies-sliced
- Pinch of Turmeric Powder
- Salt
- 10-12 Curry Leaves
- Heat Coconut Oil (or any Vegetable Oil) in a large Pan. Add Mustard Seeds, Green Chilies, Curry Leaves, chopped Onions and fry on high heat until Onions become soft.
- Onions become soft in 3-4 mins. Now, add pinch of Turmeric Powder. Now add chopped Cabbage. Stir fry on high heat
- Cover and cook on low heat
- Uncover after 10 mins. The aroma of Coconut Oil is too tempting
- Stir well. The Cabbage has a slight crunch which is desirable in the dish. Add Salt to taste and grated fresh Coconut. Mix well and cook on medium heat for couple of mins. Do not cook for too long after adding Coconut
- Thoran must not have water content left in it. If you notice moisture, stir fry on high heat to get rid of moisture.
- Remove from heat now and serve hot
- Delicious Cabbage Thoran is ready and served. We made a regional authentic dish quickly and with few ingredients. You can include it in your daily diet and also pack it in your lunchbox

Click to watch recipe video
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