Curry rice with cabbage

by Dr Antigone Kouris-Blazos

I have modified a traditional Greek "cabbage rice" dish by adding curry and making it more delicious. This is a great way to get kids to eat cooked cabbage.

This dish is quick and easy, a tasty way to eat the antioxidant rich cabbage, and a great side dish to meat, chicken, fish or eggs.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

- 450g bag of coleslaw cabbage mix - with no dressing (or finely slice white/red cabbage to make 2 cups and 1 grated carrot)
- 1 large onion finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon of curry (or 1 teaspoon of you like it hot)
- 2 cups of uncooked parboiled rice (e.g "tastic" in Australia) because this rice keeps it shape and does not overcook easily. Otherwise, try a long grain rice (e.g "clever rice" in Australia, which also has a low glycemic index)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cups water
- 3 massel vegetarian "chicken style" stock cubes (or 3 teaspoons of powder)

Method
1. In a pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil on low heat. Add stock cubes and curry powder and mix through onion mix.
2. Add cabbage and mix onion mixture through cabbage. Keep on low heat stirring occasionally till cabbage has wilted and is semi-soft - about 20 miniutes. Remove from heat.
3. Boil 5 cups water in a pot.
4. Add 2 cups rice. Boil for about 25-30 minutes if using parboiled rice or less if using long grain rice (be careful not to overcook rice as this will make dish a little sloppy).
Drain rice in a colander.
5. Mix rice through cabbage mixture
6. Serve with meat, chicken, fish or egg

Variation: use 1 cup of frozen peas plus 1 cup of frozen sweet corn instead of cabbage in the onion mixture - this will make a lovely corn and pea rice dish.

PS. If you wish to re-heat the rice it is better to empty the contents of the pot into a pyrex dish and re-heat in the oven.