My grandmother was born in Ireland, and I grew up dreading the corned beef and cabbage that she made each year on St. Patrick’s Day. This vegetarian recipe keeps the cooked vegetables from the Irish combo but adds more interesting flavors courtesy of the Niter Kibbeh spiced clarified butter. I have included the recipe to make the Niter Kibbeh yourself from scratch, but you can also find the spice mix for it as well as the finished product at specialty grocery stores.
Melt 1 stick (1/4 pound) of butter in a non-stick skillet. Add 1 t. fresh minced ginger; 1/4 t. each allspice berries, fenugreek seeds, dried oregano and tumeric powder; 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 chopped spring onion.
Saute the butter over low heat for 30 minutes. Do not allow it to boil or it will turn brown. Line a strainer with a cheesecloth and pour the liquid butter through it into a bowl, leaving the milk solids in the pan.
Chop 3 spring onions and saute in 3 T. of the Niter Kibbeh for 10 minutes over medium heat in a large skillet. Add 1/2 t. turmeric and saute another minute.
Roughly chop 1 head of cabbage to make 1 pound (8 Cups). Wash and quarter 6 small red potatoes or dice 3-4 larger ones. Cut 4 carrots in half lengthwise and then cut into 3 inch pieces.
Add the vegetables to the pan along with 1/2 C. water. Season generously with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer. Cover and lower the heat. Cook for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender and falling apart. Add more water if necessary if the vegetables are sticking, but you don’t want the dish to be soupy.
Season with salt and pepper and serve with rice, millet or bread,