Cook the Book: Coconut Cabbage with Chiles and Green Peas

Pour 1 cup water into a blender jar, and add the coconut and chiles. Purée, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, to make a creamy-white, thin sauce with flecks of green.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the mustard seeds, cover the pan, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (not unlike popcorn), about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils and stir-fry them until golden brown, 15 to 20 seconds.

Immediately add the cabbage, peas, salt, curry leaves, and the sauce. Stir once or twice, and bring the curry to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Then serve.

Note: To reconstitute coconut, cover with 1/2 cup boiling water, set aside for about 15 minutes, and then drain.