By Jehan Yusoof | Updated September 26, 2026 | ★ 4.5 (2 reviews) |

This cabbage curry is easy to make in 30 minutes. This cabbage recipe is ideal as a vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, gluten-free side dish.

★★★★★
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What is Sri Lankan cabbage curry?

In Sri Lankan this Cabbage curry is often called gova curry.
The vegetarian curry is made using simple ingredients like thick coconut milk, turmeric powder, curry leaves, onions, and fenugreek seeds.
A quick tempering over the curry, and the gova curry is ready to serve over a steaming bowl of rice.

Cabbage coconut curry with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Ingredients for Sri Lankan cabbage curry

Cabbage(sliced into thin strips)
Medium-sized onion
A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
Garlic
Cinnamon piece
Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder
Fenugreek seeds
Thick coconut milk
Water
Salt to season
- For tempering.
- Oil to temper
- Curry leaves
- Medium onion
- Garlic
- Red chilli powder
- Mustard seeds

Cabbage coconut milk scooped up with a spoon

What you will need in the kitchen

Chopping board and knife
Medium-sized pan for cooking the curry
Wooden spoon
Small frying pan and spoon to temper
Serving bowl and spoon

How to cook cabbage curry (gova curry)
Step-by-step

photo tutorial

Preparing the cabbage

Rinse the cabbage head, cut it into thin strips, and place it in a medium-sized cooking pan.
Add sliced onions, garlic, and curry leaves.

Cabbage slices, sliced onions and sliced garlic with curry leaves to make coconut milk cabbage curry.

Add aromatics and spices

Add cinnamon, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and fenugreek seeds.

Sliced cabbage with ingredients like turmeric powder, red chilli powder

Simmer in coconut milk

Mix the water with the thick coconut milk.
Pour into the pan and slow-simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the coconut milk gravy thickens.
Taste and season with salt.
Once that cabbage coconut milk curry is cooked, remove it from the stove.

Make the tempering for the gova curry

Place a frying pan over a low-medium fire and pour in the oil.
Add the sliced onion and garlic with a few curry leaves and red chilli powder.
Once the ingredients are golden in colour, add the mustard seeds and cook for another 2 minutes over low heat until they blister.
Add the tempering to the cabbage curry.

Tempered onions, garlic, curry leaves in oil spread over the cooked cabbage curry.

Mix the tempering with the cabbage curry and serve warm.

Cabbage curry cooked in a spiced coconut milk gravy.

What to serve with cabbage curry

The cabbage curry goes well with regular white rice, basmati rice, and red rice.

Other vegetable curries
Salads and sambols

Meat and seafood dishes

How to Store and Reheat cabbage curry

Storing in the refrigerator
- Store in an airtight glass container with a lid, as the turmeric will stain plastic. Refrigerate only when the cabbage curry is cold.
Freezing
- I don’t freeze the curry because once it thaws, it becomes watery and tasteless.
Reheating
- Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Stop food waste by
- Only making as much as you need; even a 250g cabbage can give you enough to feed 3 people easily.

More cabbage recipes

Spicy cabbage stir-fry
Cabbage mallung(cabbage and coconut sambol)
Beef and cabbage stew

Watch more Sri Lankan recipes on my YouTube channel

Sri Lankan Cabbage curry with coconut milk (30 minutes)

Name: Sri Lankan Cabbage curry with coconut milk (30 minutes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.; 250g of cabbage(sliced into thin strips); 1 medium-sized onion sliced fine; A sprig of curry leaves or about 6 leaves (substitute with a bay leaf); 3 cloves of garlic sliced fine; 1″piece of cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder; 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds; 1 cup of thick coconut milk; 1/2 a cup of water; Salt to season; 1/4 cup oil(4 tablespoons of oil); 3 to 4 curry leaves(optional); 1 medium onion, sliced fine; 2 cloves of garlic sliced fine; 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder; 1 teaspoon of mustard seed

Yield: 3

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Creamy Sri Lankan cabbage curry in 30 minutes. Simmered in coconut milk with turmeric, fenugreek and curry leaves, then finished with an onion and mustard-seed tempering. Vegan and gluten-free.

4.5 Stars (2 Reviews)

Ingredients

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
250g of cabbage(sliced into thin strips)

1 medium-sized onion sliced fine
A sprig of curry leaves or about 6 leaves (substitute with a bay leaf)
3 cloves of garlic sliced fine
1″piece of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder
1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
1 cup of thick coconut milk
1/2 a cup of water
Salt to season

For tempering

1/4 cup oil(4 tablespoons of oil)
3 to 4 curry leaves(optional)
1 medium onion, sliced fine
2 cloves of garlic sliced fine
1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder
1 teaspoon of mustard seed

Instructions

Making the curry

Rinse the cabbage head, cut it into thin strips, and place it in a medium-sized cooking pan.
Add sliced onions (1 medium-sized), garlic (2 cloves cut into thin slivers), curry leaves(a sprig; substitute with a bay leaf), cinnamon (1″piece), turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon), red chilli powder (1/2 teaspoon), fenugreek seeds (1 teaspoon).
Mix the water (1/2 a cup)with the thick coconut milk (1 cup).
Pour into the pan and simmer slowly for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked and the coconut milk gravy thickens.
Taste and season with salt.
If you notice the milk curry is watery, add a little thick coconut milk and stir well.
Remove the cabbage curry from the stove.

Tempering

Place a frying pan over a low-medium fire and pour in the oil (4 tablespoons).
Add the sliced onion (1 medium), garlic (2 cloves, sliced), with a few curry leaves(5; if you don’t have curry leaves, skip it).
Add red chilli powder (1/2 teaspoon)and cook until you notice the onions and garlic turn golden in colour.
Add the mustard seeds, cook for another minute over low heat until they blister.
Add the tempering to the cabbage curry.
Mix in with the curry, let the tempering add its flavour to the vegetarian curry. Serve warm.

I'd love to know how it turned out.
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment; I read every one — it helps other visitors trust the recipe and helps them find me too.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.