Padma Lakshmi Proves The Twitter Algorithm Is In Love With Cabbage

Padma Lakshmi seems like she does it all. The model, actress, food expert, and chef has starred in, directed, or produced numerous television shows. When she's not writing New York Times best-selling books, filming seasons of "Top Chef," working on her own show, "Taste the Nation," or speaking out about the numerous causes she advocates for, Lakshmi is happy to be at home with her daughter, Krishna. Lakshmi's relative absence on her fans' Twitter feeds could easily be because she's so busy with work, but it turned out that the chef probably just didn't have enough cabbage content. 

In February 2023, Lakshmi tweeted a video of her making a popular South Indian stir-fried cabbage dish called poriyal. Lakshmi said she heard cabbage was trending and decided to make her mother's recipe. Lakshmi emphasized in her tweet, "It's important to learn from your cabbage elders, people!!" Twitter user @lilmiss_cbw commented to say the cabbage poriyal video Lakshmi posted was the first time her content showed up for them since Twitter's January 2023 updates, which replaced the "Home" and "Latest" tabs with "For You" and "Following" tabs. "So the algorithm loves cabbage. Got it," Lakshmi replied cheekily. Others shared that they, too, had not seen Lakshmi's content in some time, but @DriesOfficial22 appropriately captured the group's sentiments by saying, "I'm glad cabbage finally prevailed."

Padma Lakshmi loves food from all over the world but enjoys featuring the plant-based foods she grew up eating in Chennai, India. This quick, healthy, and flavorful stir-fry recipe is right in line with what Padma Lakshmi typically eats in a day. For cabbage poriyal, she starts by blooming black mustard seeds in oil, then adds dry chana dal and urad dal for a toasty crunch. Ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves round out the aromatics. Curry leaves are very different from seasoning blends like curry powder and can be found in most South Asian markets. However, there are some substitutes for curry leaves if you don't have them on hand. Additions of thinly sliced cabbage and shredded coconut finish out the dish. Lakshmi says fresh, frozen, or dried coconut will all work well — just don't use sweetened coconut. She also recommends serving cabbage poriyal alongside rice and a light lentil-based stew like dal or kootu.

I keep hearing that cabbage is "trendy" right now, so I made my mom's cabbage poriyal. It's important to learn from your cabbage elders, people!! pic.twitter.com/6HarSWs1lY

— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) February 24, 2023

This isn't the first time she has shared a delicious, cabbage-forward recipe with her fans. Lakshmi's chipotle coleslaw recipe has also made its way around the Internet. If cabbage poriyal and chipotle coleslaw don't speak to what you're craving, there are plenty more cabbage recipes you'll want to eat all year round.