Recipes › Cabbage (Winter) › Spiced Cabbage and Chickpea Dal
Spiced Cabbage and Chickpea Dal
A hearty, warming dal where winter cabbage is cooked down into the spiced lentil base until it becomes almost silky, absorbing all the cumin, turmeric and ginger. The chickpeas add protein and body, making this a completely satisfying one-pot supper. Serve with warm flatbreads or rice and a dollop of yoghurt.
Cabbage (Winter) is usually ready November to March. More cabbage (winter) recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 700 winter cabbage, outer leaves removed, quartered, core discarded, roughly chopped into 3cm pieces
- 200 g red lentils, rinsed well
- 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsedor use 250g cooked chickpeas
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp coconut oilor rapeseed oil
- 2 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 green chilli, finely sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 20 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 lemon, juice only
Contains: nuts.
Method
- Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant — they should pop slightly. Then add the diced onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes until deeply golden and soft.About 11 min
- Add the garlic, ginger and green chilli and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously so nothing burns. Add the ground turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala and stir for 1 minute until the spices are fragrant and coating everything.About 3 min
- Tip in the chopped tomatoes and cook over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate at the edges. This step is important — it cooks out the raw tomato flavour and deepens the base.About 5 min
- Add the rinsed red lentils and stir to coat them in the spiced tomato base. Pour in the vegetable stock, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.About 12 min
- Add the chopped cabbage and the drained chickpeas to the pan. Stir well, ensuring the cabbage is submerged as much as possible. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for a further 15 minutes until the cabbage is completely tender and the lentils have broken down into a thick sauce. If the dal looks too thick, add a splash more stock or water.About 15 min
- Remove from the heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice, taste and adjust salt. Stir through most of the fresh coriander if using, scatter the rest on top, and serve immediately with rice or flatbreads.About 2 min
Tips
- Don't skip the step of cooking the tomatoes down until the oil separates — this is the difference between a flat-tasting dal and a rich, complex one. It takes patience but only 5 minutes.
- The cabbage needs to be properly tender, not just wilted. Taste it at the 15-minute mark — if there's any chewiness left, give it another 5 minutes. Winter cabbage is robust and can take the heat.
- Make it a day ahead if you can. Dal always improves overnight as the flavours deepen and the lentils continue to absorb the spices.
Ring the changes
- For a richer version, stir in 100ml of tinned coconut milk at the end with the lemon juice. It softens the edges of the spices beautifully.
- Swap the chickpeas for a 400g tin of butter beans for a slightly creamier texture and a more British spin.
Keeping it
Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan with a splash of water, stirring often. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
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