Cabbage zunka recipe | How to make Maharashtrian spicy Jhunka
Cabbage zunka or Jhunka is a traditional Maharashtrian vegetarian side dish recipe which is also popular in Karnataka and Goa. Let us see the simple cabbage zunka recipe.
What is a zunka or jhunka?
Zunka is a gram flour-based recipe, prepared with veggies like cabbage, capsicum, beans, etc. Some call this as dry pithla or pitla and very popular in the Marathi Karnataka border.
Even if you do not have any vegetables in your pantry, just don’t worry and go ahead with simple onions. The plain onion gram flour zunka tastes more like pan-toast pakoras.
Make this zunka like semi gravy and that is called pithla or pitla or zunka gravy. There are slight variations in the Jhunka recipe in different parts of India. I will show the basic version of the cabbage zunka recipe and you can make your own adjustments.
How to serve this zunka?
Usually, Marathi people serve this zunka along with Bhakri or bhakar. Bhakri is an Indian flatbread variety (roti/chapati) made with jowar(bajra/kambu) flour.
Being a South Indian we like to relish this Cabbage zunka with simple rasam rice or parottas. This spicy Cabbage Jhunka tastes great with spongy dosas also.
How much gram flour to use and how long to roast?
First of all the cabbage, we use here is a watery vegetable that can be cooked in just a few minutes. The amount of gram flour we use depends on the veggie we use. I prefer to use just half a cup of gram flour for approximately 3 cups of cabbage.
Next the gram flour I use here is already roasted one. If you like more roast effects, do give extra roasting time in low heat.
At the same time the more you roast the besan with cabbage, the more it becomes dry. Adjust water quantity and roasting time-based on your liking. More water and less roasting time for zunka semi gravy pithla form and less water more roasting time for dry zunka version.
If you are a cabbage lover you may like this South Indian famous Cabbage egg masala, Cabbage kootu. And the crispy Cabbage pakora (the deep-fry version of this cabbage zunka) is another delicious snack from my blog.
Cabbage zunka is a Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free recipe which in turn perfect for weight loss and dieting.
Watch the making video of cabbage zunka recipe and please subscribe if you wish to receive more such interesting food recipes and videos.
Cabbage zunka recipe | How to make Maharashtrian spicy Jhunka
Equipment
- Cooking pan
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 small cabbage 3 cups chopped
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¾ tsp salt as per taste
- ½ cup besan flour gram flour
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
Preparation:
- Clean and chop or grate cabbage.
- Also, finely chop garlic and onion.
Recipe:
- Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large pan preferably a nonstick pan.
- Add 1tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp of cumin seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle and add 1 tbsp of garlic.
- Next, add a half cup of onions and saute two minutes until they become transparent.
- Add cabbage, saute few seconds and add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.
- Sprinkle a few tsp of water, cover the pan with a lid and cook for five minutes.
- Cook cabbage till water evaporates, add 1/2 tsp of chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala.
- Add 3/4 tsp of salt as per taste.
- Next, add 1/2 cup of roasted gram flour (besan/chickpea flour) and mix well.
- Reduce the heat source to lower the setting and cover the pan for five minutes.
- Saute the gram flour well with cabbage masala.
- In a few minutes, the cabbage and gram flour become dry cooked sabzi. Scrap the sides and bottom of the pan and combine well to get the roasted effect.
- Sprinkle few coriander leaves and switch off the cabbage junka.
- Serve with bajra or wheat rotis or chapattis.
Video
Notes
1) I use already roasted gram flour for this zunka. If you use fresh besan flour, just give it some extra roasting time in the pan.
2) The same recipe can be used for capsicum and other such veggies. Plain zunka without any vegetables also taste great like pan-cooked pakodas. 3) Use more chilli powder for an extra spicier version.
Nutrition
Preparation:
- Clean and chop or grate cabbage.
- Also, finely chop garlic and onion.
Recipe:
- Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large pan preferably a nonstick pan.
- Add 1tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp of cumin seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle and add 1 tbsp of garlic.
- Next, add a half cup of onions and saute for two minutes until they become transparent.
- Add cabbage, saute few seconds and add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.
- Sprinkle a few tsp of water, cover the pan with a lid and cook for five minutes.
- Cook cabbage till the water evaporates. Add a 1/2 tsp of chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of garam masala.
- Add 3/4 tsp of salt as per taste.
- Next, add 1/2 cup of roasted gram flour (besan/chickpea flour) and mix well for few minutes until you get roast aroma.
- Reduce the heat source to a lower setting and cover the pan for five minutes.
- Let the gram flour get cooked well with cabbage masala.
- In a few minutes, the cabbage and gram flour become dry-cooked sabzi. Scrap the sides and bottom of the pan and combine well to get the roasted effect.
- Sprinkle few coriander leaves and switch off the cabbage junka.
- Serve with bhakris or wheat rotis or chapattis.
Tips:
1) I use already roasted gram flour for this zunka. If you use fresh besan flour, just give it some extra roasting time in the pan.
2) The same recipe can be used for capsicum and other such veggies. Plain zunka without any vegetables also taste great like pan-cooked pakodas.
3) Use more chilli powder for an extra spicier version.
