Stir-Fried Cabbage with Fish

Maach Diye Bandha Kopi

Cabbage cooked with fish bones and head is very tasty, but it takes some skill to safely remove the bones. In this case, I've taken pieces of filleted fish that flake too easily and fall apart when added to a gravy and used them to flavour the cabbage. Stir-frying cabbage until golden brown makes it much sweeter so that no sugar is needed. This side dish goes well with either steamed rice or any form of Indian bread.

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, cut in 4 wedges and shredded

1/2 lb. fish pieces

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cinnamon stick

2 black cardamoms/badi elaich

1 tsp. shah jeera/cumin seeds

1 large onion, diced

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, diced

2 serrano peppers, optionally deseeded & minced

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika/chili power or to taste

1 bunch cilantro stems, chopped

1 tsp. ghee

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and sputter cinnamon, cardamoms & shah jeera.
2. Add onions and stir-fry until translucent.
3. Stir in ginger & garlic pastes, tomatoes, peppers, garam masala and paprika along with the fish pieces.
4. Cook fish until oil resurfaces, add cilantro stems and salt to taste.
5. Add the shredded cabbage and give it a good stir.
6. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium and cook until cabbage is browned, stirring occasionally.
7. Garnish with ghee and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve with steamed basmati/jasmine rice or Indian bread.