Creamy Cabbage Curry

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high for a few minutes, or until shimmering. Add the garlic and serrano pepper and stir very frequently for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant (don't let the garlic brown).

2. Add the cabbage and use tongs to coat it into the oil and aromatics, tossing well so the garlic and serrano pepper aren't stuck to the bottom of the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender, silky, and browned in spots.NOTE: If it starts to brown quickly, lower the heat to medium and/or add a splash of water to deglaze.Multitasking: While the cabbage cooks: (a) In a small bowl combine the tomato paste, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and lots of black pepper; (b) finely chop the tomatoes and set aside.

3. To the cabbage, add the tomato paste-spice mixture. Stir very frequently for 2 minutes, coating the tomato paste into the cabbage. If it dries out, add a splash of water. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened and almost melting into the cabbage.

4. Pour in the coconut milk, chickpeas, almond butter, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking. The curry will thicken, so if you want a looser texture, add ¼ to ½ cup water (60 to 120 mL).NOTE: I prefer simmering for 20 minutes, as it gives the ingredients enough time to mask the coconut flavor, but you can taste at 15 minutes and check.

5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the garam masala, several squeezes of lime juice, and the chopped cilantro. Season to taste with salt or more lime juice as desired.

6. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread. NOTE: leftovers will thicken considerably in the fridge, so you may want to thin it out with some water on the stove.