Do you love quick one-pot meals? Then here is a perfect one for you – Delicious cabbage kootu/ South Indian style cabbage gravy/stew with lentils made in Instant Pot. Check out how to make this cabbage kootu with detailed videos both in Tamil and English.

What is Kootu?

Kootu is a Tamil word meaning “combine” or “mix” or “add” or “adding.” Based on the context, it can mean combine or add. For the dish kootu, we combine a vegetable along with lentils. In our household, we mostly add moong dal, but for some vegetables, we do add chana dal. A typical Tamil Nadu thali/feast is incomplete without a kootu. Go to any Tamil Nadu restaurants, and you will find a kootu in their thali.

I do have quite a few kootu recipes on my blog like chow-chow kootu, raw papaya kootu, spinach kootu, brussels sprouts kootu, etc. Don’t forget to check out my kootu category. Today I am going to add this cabbage kootu my online recipe repository.

We do eat out occasionally, and I love to try new dishes. I also love to decrypt the recipe and try it at my home. It’s so much fun. Decoding Saravana Bhavan style kootu was on my “to-try” list for quite some time, and I finally got around it.

Like every other recipe, all the restaurants and family have their version of kootu. Here is my version of the Saravana Bhavan style kootu that I tried locally in the Bay. The husbandman and the kiddo gave a big nod and mentioned it tastes pretty similar to the restaurant-style one.

Before getting into the recipe, I want to share all my trials and other options as well. Initially, I tried with coconut masala and but couldn’t get that exact taste, and I stopped using coconut. Also, I realized that they did not use any spice powders. So with that in mind, I went without coconut but decided to add the onion. All the time, I used cabbage only.

Cabbage Kootu Variations-

Attempt 1 –

When I tried this for the first time, I did not even have mustard seeds at home. So I ended up using the panch phoran mix. But I removed the nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds. I did the tempering in coconut oil, sauteed onion, and then added the cabbage and lentils (a combination of chana dal and moong dal) and pressure cooked for 15 minutes. I used dried red chilies as the only spicing agent. To my surprise, the kootu came out so well, and it tasted as we had in HSB(Hotel Saravana Bhavan). It was creamy, and the consistency was more like dal than kootu, and you can check the picture here on my Instagram.

We prefer soft and tender veggies in kootu. We like that bite. So next time, I decided to reduce the cooking time and also skip onion.

Attempt 2 –

I tried this time by tempering mustard seeds and urad dal in groundnut oil. I also skipped onion and cooked the cabbage and lentils for 12 minutes. It was good, in fact delicious, but I realized onion and coconut oil were the two magic ingredients that gave that restaurant-style taste. The timing was perfect for us, so I decided to try the third time with onion and with 12 minutes of cooking time.

Attempt 3 –

I tried this time by tempering mustard seeds and cumin seeds in coconut oil. I included onion and cooked the cabbage and lentils for 12 minutes. I also added a handful of cooked black chickpeas. Mostly HSB style kootu will have a legume like black-eyed peas or black chickpeas, even kidney beans. So I added a handful, but that’s optional.

I was happy with this attempt, so I decided to try it again and post it on the blog. And here it is. :-)

As you can see, none of these trails was a failure. It’s just finding that right taste, and that’s what cooking is all about — finding that perfect chord that strikes everyone. A small change in ingredients impacts the flavor of a dish for sure.

You can also make this kootu in the traditional way by skipping onion and grinding coconut, cumin seeds and red chilies like keerai kootu.

Cooking Time for Other Veggies:

I am going to share a range of cooking times for different veggies. You can pick according to your texture preference. If you are planning to use any legumes, make sure you soak them overnight and parboil them as a part of the prep-work. For beans like black chickpeas and kidney beans, sometimes 12 to 15 minutes of cook time won’t be sufficient. That’s why I prefer semi-cooked beans. You can also use canned beans instead.

Snake gourd | Kohlrabi– Like cabbage, you can pick the cooking time between 12 to 15 minutes. Make sure the snake gourd is not bitter. If it’s a tender one, 12 minutes should be sufficient.
Chow Chow | Ridge Gourd | Bottle Gourd – The cooking time can vary between 8 to 10 minutes. If you are not using chana dal and if you like tender veggies, you can opt 5 minutes for chow-chow and bottle gourd alone. For Ridge gourd, I would prefer 7 to 8 minutes atleast.

I know I am repeating this – the cooking time depends not only upon your personal preference but also on how tender the veggies are and the lentils that you are using.

As always, I have written an extended essay. So without any further ado, here is the recipe videos and printable recipe.

Cabbage Kootu Recipe Video in Tamil:

Cabbage Kootu Recipe Video in English:

How to Make Cabbage Kootu in Instant Pot-

Wash both the lentils and let it soak for 15 minutes.
Set the Instant Pot in saute mode, and when the display shows “HOT,” add the coconut oil.
After about 30 seconds, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and the dried red chilies. Break the dried chilies before adding.
Then add the curry leaves and gently mix and allow the mustard seeds to splutter.

When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onion and saute for two to three minutes.

Now turn off the Instant Pot and add the remaining ingredients.
Add the chopped cabbage, drained lentils, turmeric powder, and salt.

Then add the water. I added about 1.5 cups of water. Mix this thoroughly. Make sure to scrape the bottom to avoid the “burn signal.”
Add cilantro and mix again.

Close the Instant Pot. The vent should be in the sealing position. Pressure cook this for 12 minutes at high-pressure mode and let the pressure release naturally.
Carefully open the Instant Pot. Mix and mash it gently. You can serve as is, or you can add more cilantro and let it simmer in saute mode for two to three minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and serve the kootu warm.

Recipe Notes-

You can replace cabbage with any other veggies like ridgegourd, bottle gourd, chow-chow, etc. Please check the timing details for vegetables in the post.
If you like thin consistency and mushy kootu, add one more cup of water and pressure cook for 15 minutes. After the pressure is released, mash the kootu nicely.
Adjust the salt and spice according to your preference.
To keep it gluten-free, either skip asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida.

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Instant Pot Cabbage Kootu | Easy Muttaikose Kootu