Cabbage Poriyal – Quick and easy South Indian style Cabbage Stir fry made with cabbage, peas, coconut, and seasoning. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
This Vegan side dish is delicious with steaming rice, Tomato Rasam, or even homemade flatbreads.
WHAT IS CABBAGE PORIYAL?
In simple terms, Cabbage is called Muttaikose in Tamil and Poriyal is Stir fry. This Poriyal is a Tamil Brahmin Style Stir Fry recipe from Palakkad Cuisine. You can make Poriyal with French Beans, Beetroot, or even mixed vegetables.
Sliced, grated, or chopped cabbage is cooked with basic south Indian seasonings like mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, salt, and freshly grated coconut.
What I really love about this quick and easy poriyal recipe is that it requires minimal ingredients to create such a delicious side dish. This simple cabbage curry recipe is prepared in coconut oil, naturally Vegan & Gluten-Free too!
WHY MAKE THIS SouthIndian PORIYAL?
Poriyal recipes are one of the easiest side dishes in south Indian cuisine.
Made with a handful of ingredients, they are perfect to feed a crowd and popular choice in Onam Sadya / Vishu.
Ready in less than 30 minutes
Naturally Vegan & Gluten-free curry
Pairs really well with Rotis or yogurt flatbreads too!
TIPS TO MAKE EASY CABBAGE PORIYAL
CHOPPING THE CABBAGE UNIFORMLY IS IMPORTANT -The beauty of this South Indian Poriyal recipe lies in the uniformly chopped cabbage. You can either shred it with a mandoline slicer and then chop them further with a knife. Alternatively, if you are good with knife skills, chop the white cabbage uniformly.
Cabbage will cook evenly when chopped uniformly. Texture also plays a part here as you may find some of the cabbage mushy and some firm if they are not cut evenly.
USE A COMBINATION – Adding green peas to this poriyal recipe with cabbage all together elevates the flavors. Cabbage and Peas are a perfect match combo.
DO NOT SKIP THE GRATED COCONUT – You can use freshly grated coconut or frozen grated coconut. They both really well. Thaw the frozen grated coconut on your counter top or in the microwave before use. Never use Desiccated coconut in Poriyal recipes, it is a spoiler!
SEASONING – A poriyal recipe tastes perfect only because of the seasoning. All the tempering ingredients are essential to south Indian cuisine and found in most households in south India.
EASY CABBAGE PEAS PORIYAL RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Urad dal
- 10 Curry Leaves
- 400 g Cabbage Washed and shredded
- 115 g Green Peas thawed
- 1 Green Chilli
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat Coconut Oil in a Deep Bottom Pan and add mustard seeds.
- Once they crackle, add urad dal (split black gram), curry leaves and saute for 25 seconds.
- Add Cabbage, Peas , salt, 1/2 cup water and cook on medium flame, covered for 10 minutes or until cabbage is cooked.
- Grind Coconut along with green chillies in a blender and add the coconut mixture to Cabbage Peas Poriyal.
- Serve warm cabbage peas poriyal along with Rice .
Notes
For a variation, add finely chopped onion in the initial step.
sandhya! You have impressed me with this recipe, like the many others I have seen and done, I am happy for the days, how curious, when I have no idea that I can cook, I turn to you! always great, thanks
Wow.. So glad to stumble upon this cabbage poriyal recipe. This is exactly how my mom makes.