Tomato Diye Bandhakopir Torkari / Benagli Tomato Cabbage Curry

Cabbage curry had been and it still is one of my favourite food. The only difference is at that time cabbage used to be available only in winter. Not that it matters....because I used to have my fill of this particular vegetable in that short span of time. But here is the fun part!!! I loved the cabbage curry but I ate only potatoes from it. May be I loved the smell of it!! If on any particular day ma made the cabbage curry / bandhakopir torkari without the potatoes...I used to do a lot of fuss!! But ate them anyways!!

I have made cabbage curry in all shapes and forms. My mother used to make Bandhakopir Torkari without onions. But I use onions and tomatoes both in my curry. This particular cabbage curry is overloaded with tomatoes. I found out this recipe from a vintage Bengali cookbook, under the name Tomato Diye Bandhakopi.

Shallow fry the potatoes until golden.

Add onions to the remaining oil. Fry until lightly golden.

Now add the ginger - garlic paste and chopped green chillies and fry the onions till golden brown.

Then add the tomatoes.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the tomatoes until the oil separates.

Next add a little water to the curry and add in turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Give a good stir and cook for 2-3 minutes to ward off the smell of the spices.

Add the fried potatoes.

Then add the blanched cabbage and cook until they are cooked, all the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to separate.

Finally add garam masala powder, mix generously and put off the flame.

Since a good number of tomatoes go into this curry, the taste comes out to be a little tangy. Different in taste...this cabbage curry is simple but definitely a winner.

 Tomato Cabbage Curry / Tomato Die Bandhakopir Torkari

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500 gm cabbage – shredded

1 or 2 medium potatoes – peeled and cubed

1 medium onion – chopped

4-5 fat garlic cloves – minced / paste

1 and ½ inch ginger stick – minced / paste

5 ripe tomatoes / 4 canned tomatoes

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

2 green chillies – chopped

1 tsp garam masala powder

Salt

2 tbsp oil

Method:

In a big vessel add the shredded cabbage with enough water to cover them. Put them on medium flame and boil it for 10-12 minutes. Then keep it in that warm water for another 10 minutes and then drain the water. Keep the blanched cabbage in a separate bowl.

Sprinkle 1 tsp turmeric powder and some salt over the cubed potatoes and rub them well. Let them marinate for 5-6 minutes.

Heat the oil in a kadai and shallow fry the potatoes until lightly golden. Once done transfer them to a bowl and keep aside.

Add onions to the remaining oil.

Stir and cook the onions till they are lightly golden brown.

Now add the ginger – garlic paste and chopped green chillies to them.

Mix in and cook on medium flame till the onions become nicely browned and the raw garlic flavour is gone.

Now add the tomatoes, sprinkle some salt over them and cook till the tomatoes are all mushy and the oil has started to separate.

Now add a little water, turmeric powder and red chilli powder and to mix them nicely give it a good stir.

Cook for 2 more minutes to get rid of the raw smell of the spices.

Now add the fried potatoes and the blanched shredded cabbage.

Carefully mix them together, put cover and let them cook.

Do not add water as the cabbage will ooze out water and everything will be cooked in it. Stir every 2-3 minutes to avoid any kind of sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook until the cabbage is all soft and the potatoes are nicely cooked from inside.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Finally sprinkle the garam masala powder over them and put off the flame.

Serve hot with roti / chapatti / rice.