Gassi Recipe

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Today, I am catering to one of the most common requests I get via email...is there an uncommon recipe for cooking chickpeas? So, I would like to share this simple but flavorful recipe for Gassi made with Cabbage and Chickpeas in South Indian cuisine.

Gassi is a curry made with a fresh blend of spices along with a sweet flavor of coconut and jaggery. It is a truly unique curry with its distinctive taste and ingredients.

A black bowl is filled with cabbage and chickpeas curry on the table

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About this recipe
Ingredients notes
Step by step directions
Common Questions
Expert tips
More related recipes
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About this recipe

Growing up in South India, this curry is very near and dear to me. In my opinion, this is an ideal recipe if you are looking for a unique way to cook with Chickpeas.

By nature, this curry has a thick texture and makes it great to pair with neer dosa, steamed rice, or phulka rotis.

One great thing about this curry is that it stays good longer than most curries. I have made enough to last for a couple of days. I plan to pair it with rice for the first day and rotis on the second day.

When you try this recipe, be sure to soak the chickpeas in water for at least six hours unless you plan on using canned chickpeas.

Ingredients notes

A brown surface is filled with gassi ingredients like cabbage, onion, coconuts and spices

Cabbage: Use fresh green cabbage with no wilted leaves. You will need about cups of chopped cabbage for this recipe. Depending on the size of the cabbage, you may only need part of it.
Grated coconuts: If you are using frozen grated coconut, be sure to thaw it before blending to avoid coconut oil from separating. You could also use freshly grated coconuts.
Spices: Split-back gram/urad dal, cumin seeds/jeera, and red chilies form the main set of spices for this recipe. This combination of spices blended with coconut is what gives the unique "Gassi" flavor.
Chickpeas: I used dry chickpeas cooked with Instant Pot for this recipe, but it is also perfectly fine to use canned chickpeas (without water). If you are not able to get chickpeas, one good alternative is to use black-eyed peas.

Step by step directions

First, be ready with the cooked Chickpeas. In my dish, I cooked the chickpeas in Instant Pot. Check this recipe here if you need instructions for that. Alternatively, you could use canned Chickpeas too.

Once the chickpeas are cooked drain all the water and place them aside to cool down.

A small pan is with spices and chilies over the heat

Place a pan over medium heat and drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of oil. As the oil heats up, add Urad dal and fry for few seconds and follow up with cumin seeds and fry until they turn golden. Add red chilies fry until they are crispy (about a minute).

A blender is with sauteed spices and grated coconuts on the table

Remove off heat and blend them with coconut and 2 cups of water.

Blended coconut paste is inside the blender

Set aside for later use.

A pan is with oil and chopped onions over the heat.

Place a medium-size pan over medium heat and start to saute chopped onions with a teaspoon of oil. When they turn translucent, add the chopped cabbage and stir for an even mix.

A pan is with cabbage, onion and salt over the heat

Add 2 cups of water, jaggery, tamarind, and salt. Stir well. Let it simmer for 6 minutes. (or until cabbage turns soft)

A pan is with blended paste and cooked chickpeas and cabbage

Add the cooked Chickpeas and let them cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the blended coconut paste and continue to stir.

A pan is with cabbage and chickpeas gassi

And let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Switch off the heat.

A pan is with cabbage gassi and topped with tempering.

Prepare tempering/seasoning: Place a small pan over medium heat and saute mustard seeds, red chilies in 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. As they start to splutter, add curry leaves, switch off the heat and add asafoetida then add them to the curry.

Common Questions

What is the difference between the Konkani ghashi recipe and Gassi recipe?

There is a variety of Gassi recipes in South Karnataka. The differences lie in ingredients. In the Konkani recipe, they use coriander seeds, garlic, and cinnamon. My version is with Urad dal and cumin seeds.

Can I use mixed vegetables in place of cabbage?

Yes, you could use any variety of vegetables in substitute for cabbage. Vegetables with a starchy bite fit well for this recipe. I have used potatoes and black-eyed peas several times with great success.

Can I use canned coconut milk instead of grated coconuts?

I recommend that you use frozen or freshly grated coconuts. They tend to blend well with the sauteed spices. Not only that, grated coconuts give a nice texture to the gassi recipe. If you do not have grated coconuts, canned coconut milk is certainly an option although you would be giving up the authentic texture.

Expert tips

Try the same recipe with different vegetable combinations like potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, or peas.
If you like more flavor add cinnamon and cloves while sauteeing spices and blend them with coconuts. I prefer the gassi recipe without the additional spices though.
Instead of chickpeas, you could use cooked blackeyed peas, peas, and red kidney beans.
If you prefer your gassi thinner add ½ - 1 cup of water while boiling with coconut paste.
If you like to have your curry in a bright red color without the heat, you could use 'byadagi' red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies. Otherwise, any type of chilies is okay to use.
Be sure to adjust our spice levels based on how hot the chilies are and how spicy you prefer your Gassi to be.