AI-generated image
Kabichi
Kabichi: Kenyan cabbage fried with carrot, tomato and green pepper
Hardly a weekday supper in a Nairobi flat goes by without a pan of kabichi next to the ugali: it costs little, uses one cabbage from the corner duka and is on the table in twenty minutes. Thin ribbons of cabbage meet onion, grated carrot, tomato and green pepper in a hot pan, staying sweet with a little bite and soaking up just enough tomato to turn rosy. Pair it with ugali and ndengu or beans, or roll it into a chapati. Most cooks go wrong by covering the pan and letting the cabbage steam to a grey, sulphurous heap; keep the lid off and the heat up. Chef's tip: salt the cabbage only at the very end, because salt pulls out water and stops it frying.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 carrotcoarsely grated
- 1 green pepper (hoho)cut into thin strips
- 1 ⅛ lb white cabbagecored and shredded finely
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide frying pan or karai over a medium-high heat. Fry 1 onion until it softens and just starts to colour.
3 minStep 2: Add 2 tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they soften into a rough sauce.
3 minStep 3: Add 1 carrot and 1 green pepper (hoho) and stir-fry for 1 minute.
1 minStep 4: Add 1 ⅛ lb white cabbage and toss with tongs over a high heat, uncovered, until it wilts by about half but the thickest pieces still have a little crunch.
5 minStep 5: Season with ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper, toss for 30 seconds and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kabichi take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tacacho
Tacacho is the breakfast of the Peruvian Amazon, from Tarapoto to Iquitos: green plantains roasted over coals, mashed with fat and salt and shaped into balls. There it comes with cecina (smoked pork) and is mashed with lard and crackling; this vegan tacacho uses good oil and a pinch of smoked paprika for the same savoury, smoky depth. The balls are dense, chewy and starchy, crisp at the edges where the plantain charred, and they are eaten hot with a fiery chilli sauce or alongside stews. Use plantains that are fully green and firm. Chef's tip: mash the plantains while they are still very hot; as green plantain cools its starch sets and it won't bind into a smooth ball.
Peruvian
Baked cream potatoes
Thin potato slices and onion baked in fresh cream with plenty of garlic and coarse black pepper until tender and browned at the edges. Serve as a side dish with pizza or pasta, or as a snack with chilli and tomato sauce.
Gobi matar (cauliflower and peas)
In Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, winter means cauliflower and fresh peas, and gobi matar is what fills countless school and office dabbas between November and February. It is cooked dry, so the florets brown a little at the edges, sweetened by the peas and sharpened by plenty of ginger. The mistake is cooking the cauliflower covered with water until it is soft and smells of cabbage; steam it briefly in its own moisture, then fry it uncovered. Chef's tip: cut the florets so they have one flat side; that face sits on the pan and browns while the rest steams tender.
Indian