Sometimes you have a meal so uniquely tasty that it strikes a chord and encourages you to try something in the kitchen that you’ve never done before. So it was for this recipe that was originally inspired by a wonderful Jamaican Jerk Chicken place in downtown Norwalk, Connecticut, a local favorite of a close friend who I worked with at the time. The best part of this short but frequent lunchtime walk was being a block away and getting that first whiff of the aromatic splendor of jerk chicken in the air. I had that memory in mind when I came across this recipe from Kate at katesbestrecipes.com and just had to try it.

This is very much a “one-pan” dish where once you have all the ingredients prepped it comes together quickly in just 2 stages of stove top cooking. It’s deliciously creamy and savory, budget-friendly, healthy, and gets more flavorful over time if you’re lucky enough to have some left over.

I suggest a deep saucepan with high sides for this dish. It seems impossible that all of the green cabbage will fit in the pan, much less that you will have room for anything else. You must trust in “shrinkage” - the flattening and slimming of the firm cabbage pieces that settle into the heated oil as you stir. Once you get them into the oil and cooking a bit, you will have room for everything else.

It comes together in a rainbow of colors and the mix of aromas from the coconut oil, garlic, thyme, and especially the Jamaican curry powder, will take you on a trip far from your kitchen.

Intrigued? Take a leap out of your comfort zone and jump right into this unique taste experience. It will be like a walk on an island beach which we will soon be craving as winter approaches here in the northeast. Enjoy!

Jamaican Curried Cabbage

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

4 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder (hot or mild)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

The Recipe

Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan or a pot big enough to hold all the cabbage. Once the oil melts, add the cabbage and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until it softens and flattens a bit. Add the carrots, onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper and toss so it all gets coated in oil. Stir-fry for about 15 minutes until everything gets soft, releases their liquid, and gets browned in spots.
Stir in the coconut milk, curry powder, and thyme leaves. Fill the empty coconut milk can with water and add that as well. Bring the entire mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 5 more minutes. (TIP: To add a protein while keeping this vegan, you can add cubes of tofu or a drained can of chick peas at this stage).
Stir in the scallions and serve with steamed brown or white rice.

NOTE: Adopted from a recipe on katesbestrecipes.com. I used a mild curry powder and added hot sauce during the meal to experiment with different levels of heat. I also included additional vegetables.