South Indian Spiced Purple Cabbage

Now that it’s warming up, I’m returning to cooking with seasonal produce and doing so simply and minimally so as to let the vegetables shine. I’m on a current kick of cooking vegetables in a South Indian style, which involves just a few light spices and short cooking times. The result is a meal that is not only quick, but tastes fresh and delicious.


Unlike North Indian dishes, which frequently contain onion, ginger, garlic, and garam masala, South Indian food frequently utilizes roasted lentils, mustard seeds, and dried red chilis to provide a light yet distinctive flavor. The mustard seeds are popped in hot oil to release their characteristic flavor, and the lentils are then added to impart the oil with a nutty flavor. Red chilis provide a bit of heat, and asafetida provides an earthy flavor that is reminiscent of but not quite as pungent as leeks or shallots.

Pipette with Romanesco

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the Sunday Market – for some reason it reminds me of NYC (probably because I used to go to the Union Square Greenmarket all the time).

Although the pickings become slim as the weather gets colder, there’s still plenty of good stuff to be had, such as this item that I picked up this past Sunday:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Pomegranate

And another recipe for brussels sprouts. They have gotten a bad rap for so many years because they haven’t been cooked the right way. These little green guys deserve better treatment than being dunked in or suspended over boiling water.

A little coating of oil and a hot oven is what they need, and they will shine if you do so. Once you’ve done that, the possibilities are endless. They’re great on their own, but they can take on a whole new persona with the addition of a few extra ingredients. I love a traditional treatment of walnuts and parmesan, but I’ve recently experimented (and with success, I think) with some different dressings.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with a Soy-Sriracha Dressing and Spiced Puffed Rice

I always serve roasted Brussels sprouts at Thanksgiving, and this year I wanted to change them up from my usual treatment of toasted walnuts and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I decided to stick with the vaguely Asian theme I had going, so I dressed them up with a spicy and savory Asian dressing, fresh herbs, and toasted puffed rice for crunch instead of nuts. My family loved them (or so they told me!).