Sweet & Sour Sambaro

Sweet & Sour Sambaro is a cabbage-and-carrot condiment with mustard seeds, dried and fresh chilies, turmeric, gur, and lemon. The vegetables stay lightly cooked rather than soft.

The cabbage is salted and pressed before cooking, then rinsed and squeezed dry. That preliminary step removes moisture and helps the finished sambaro keep a firmer texture.

The sweet and sour notes are added at the very end with gur and lemon juice. The pan comes off the heat immediately afterward so the cabbage and carrots do not continue to cook.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt, for sweating
• 1 tablespoon good oil
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
• 2 fresh green chilies, slit at the end
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon gur
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste

Method

Place the cabbage in a colander, sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt, set a plate and heavy can on top, and leave it to sweat for 1–2 hours. Rinse and squeeze out excess moisture. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the dried chilies, and cook until darkened. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and let them pop for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage, carrots, green chilies, and turmeric and sauté for 3–4 minutes. Add the gur and lemon juice and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the gur dissolves. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl, adjust the salt, and remove the whole chilies before serving. Makes 4–6 servings.