Apple Sabzi (Apple Cooked in Mild Spices With Coconut) Recipe

By
Denise D'silva Sankhé
Denise D'silva Sankhé is a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats.

Denise is the author of The Beyond Curry Indian Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Through India. She wrote the popular Beyond Curry column for Serious Eats starting in 2012.

Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated April 18, 2019
20121808-Apple-Sabzi-Apples-cooked-in-coconut-and spices.jpg
Prasanna Sankhe

This is a dish that took me by surprise. It was served at a South Indian restaurant, where one expects the usual assortment of delicious vegetable sides to go with white rice and fluffy puris, the circular deep fried bread.

But the first bite left me totally amazed. Here I was thinking this is a vegetable, when it was actually the sweetest apple I had ever tasted, coated with a generous amount of coconut, mild spices, and a delicious coconut oil flavor. It was a treat. An unexpected range of flavors that worked so well together.

And if you're not a big apple fan, this is a wonderful, unusual way to try and change your mind.

Recipe Details

Apple Sabzi (Apple Cooked in Mild Spices With Coconut) Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 2 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

  • 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds

  • 2 teaspoons split black gram

  • 10 curry leaves

  • 1 large red onion finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 3/4 cup scraped coconut flesh

  • 2 small green chiles (such as Thai bird chiles) slit lengthwise

  • 1 teaspoon ground red chile

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 2 medium red apples cores removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup water

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the black mustard seeds and the split black gram. Stir until they pop, about 1 minute. Add the curry leaves and step aside as they splutter. Stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned about 4 minutes. Add the coconut, green chills, chill powder, turmeric and coriander. Stir to coat the coconut with the spices and oil.

  2. Add the apples, salt and water. Stir to combine. Cover with lid and allow to cook until the apple is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve as a side to an indian vegetarian meal.

Special equipment

Heavy bottomed lidded pan

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
466Calories
22gFat
64gCarbs
10gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories466
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g28%
Saturated Fat 18g88%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 237mg10%
Total Carbohydrate 64g23%
Dietary Fiber 16g56%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 19mg93%
Calcium 111mg9%
Iron 3mg19%
Potassium 938mg20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes