A crunchy colorful cabbage salad that is healthy, tasty, and super easy to make. This Indian salad has an earthy tempering of mustard seeds and turmeric over finely chopped cabbage and a mix of crisp veggies finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
This recipe is adapted from a dear friend who often whipped up this colorful and flavor-packed spicy cabbage salad for pot lucks and dinner parties. I would always be in awe to see her make it. It was always a hit and it not only stood out but also perfectly complemented all the other elaborate Indian dishes.
Steps
The best part of this dish is the tadka or "tempering" that takes less than 5 minutes to make. You heat up the oil until it's shimmering and then add the mustard seeds. As they start popping, add hing or asafetida, turmeric, and red chili powder. That's all! Pour this aromatic tadka on the cabbage slaw that elevates the flavors of each vegetable in the salad.
Serving
Serve as a side dish with your favorite Indian meal. Or get creative and serve as a side salad with soup or sandwich or pair it with your favorite grilled meats or veggies. This low-calorie vegan salad will complement any meal.
Here are some more pairing ideas to serve this tangy cabbage side dish:
Vegetarian Meals
- Spinach Dal & Rice
- Dum Aloo & Paratha
- Aloo Gobi & Roti
- Dal Makhani & Brown Rice
- Batata Bhaji & Puri
Non Vegetarian Meals
We love to incorporate cabbage in our everyday meals. It's an inexpensive vegetable that is packed with nutrition and has a long shelf life. Here are some of our favorite Indian cabbage recipes:
- Cabbage Rice - A popular one pot meal on the blog, this recipe uses lot of cabbage that simply melds along with the rice
- Gobi Paratha - Red Cabbage Parathas
- Patta Gobi Sabzi - Cabbage stir fry with options to add lentils, peas or carrots this versatile recipe is quick & flavorful
- Veg Hakka Noodles - Cut cabbage into long thin strips and load it up in this family favorite noodle dish
- Lemon Coriander Soup - Chicken cilantro soup with ginger and jalapeños with an added crunch and nutrients from cabbage that is added just before serving
Indian Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced and chopped
- ½ cup red pepper thinly sliced
- ½ cup green pepper thinly sliced
- ½ cup carrots julienned
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup purple cabbage. thinly sliced and chopped optional
- 1½ tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lemon cut into half & juiced
Instructions
- Mix all the veggies in a medium bowl.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Turn the heat off once the mustard seeds start to pop. Add asafetida, turmeric & red chili powder.
- Pour this tempering over the veggies. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix well and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
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Andy Blackwell says
This Cabbage salad is brilliant, thank you so much. Forget coleslaw, this is the 'go-to' for us now. I made it this evening to go with frittata, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and new potatoes. Delicious, and healthy. I just want to try it with everything: curries, roti, kebabs, cold meats, even fish and chips (we're British)!
claudia says
perfect for all the green and red cabbage I have. Thank you!
Hollis Claire says
This looks amazing!!! How long would this salad last in the refrigerator? I'd like to meal prep some healthy lunches.
Archana says
It can last for 2 days refrigerated.
michelle says
Great way to get more veggies in.
Kim says
Excellent flavor!
Anushree says
I loved it!
Liz T says
Love this!!! So fresh and bright! I used a lime instead of lemon because it's what I had, and used some paprika and black pepper instead of chili powder for my young kids. Definitely will be making this again.
Archana says
Thank you Liz! So glad that the children loved it too!
Rupa Chigurupati says
This salad is delicious and I make it all the time. I add curry leaves to the tadka and mix in a handful of fresh cilantro at the end. Great recipe! Thank you Archana!
Archana says
Love the addition of curry leaves!