Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen
(Serves 4)
Cabbage may lack the dramatic appearance of other cruciferous vegetables—the bumpy reptilian leaves of Lacinato kale or striking hue of purple cauliflower – but this Curry Roasted Cabbage recipe elevates it to the next level. The cabbage is cut into wedges and roasted, creating charred, crispy edges with tender, sweet layers underneath. The wedges are brushed with a curry-infused oil, with a little sugar to help with browning. Then the cabbage is covered with aluminum foil and placed on the lower rack of a hot oven to steam the wedges and jump-start browning on the undersides. Instead of flipping them, you simply uncover them for the last part of cooking and add another drizzle of oil to crisp and brown the upper sides while maximizing browning underneath. To complete the meal, this recipe includes an aromatic chickpea-tomato curry simmered in a skillet on the stovetop while the cabbage roasts. The result is a transformation of this humble vegetable into the main event.
TIP: When slicing the cabbage into wedges, be sure to slice through the core, leaving it intact so the wedges don’t fall apart. Smaller 2-pound cabbages work best here; if you have a larger cabbage, you can remove the outer leaves until it weighs about 2 pounds, though it may not brown as well.
INGREDIENTS
- 7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon curry powder, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 head green cabbage (2 pounds)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, undrained
- 10 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine ¼ cup oil, 2 teaspoons curry powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Halve cabbage through the core and cut each half into 4 approximately 2-inch-wide wedges, leaving core intact (you will have 8 wedges).
- Arrange cabbage wedges in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then brush cabbage all over with the oil mixture. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil evenly over wedges. Return cabbage to oven and roast uncovered until cabbage is tender and sides touching sheet are well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and the remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and their liquid and tomatoes and bring to -simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to break down and mixture has thickened slightly, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Divide cabbage among individual plates and spoon chickpea mixture over top. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
This Curry Roasted Cabbage recipe goes well with a Herbed Yogurt Sauce.
