^[1]Celebrate Diwali with this vegetable bhaji  — it’s fireworks-bright, with just a bit of chili providing a small, pleasant explosion in the mouth. With a food processor, it’s a breeze to make. Purple cabbage adds big eye appeal, fancier cabbage like Napa or Savoy are tenderer and cook quicker — your call. Serve with brown basmati rice, or scoop up with naan, roti or other Indian flatbread.

Serves: 4

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut (optional but very nice)
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cabbage, or about 4 cups, shredded
• 3 carrots, or about 2-1/2 cups, shredded
• 1 red pepper
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Sea salt to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add mustard seeds.Cover with lid and cook until the mustard seeds pop, about a minute. Remove lid, lower the heat to medium and add cumin and turmeric and optional dried coconut, stirring for another minute, or until mixture becomes fragrant.

Using a food processer, shred onion, cabbage and carrots as if you were making cole slaw (otherwise, use a knife to chop vegetables fine. It will go quickly. Think of the light).  Add confetti of vegetables to skillet and stir together over medium heat. Mince jalapeño and slice red pepper into skinny strips.

Add to skillet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice, chopped coriander and salt to taste. Serve at once.

Ellen Kanner is the Huffington Post’s Meatless Monday blogger, ^[2] the syndicated columnist The Edgy Veggie ^[3], and contributor  to publications including Culinate ^[4], Bon Appetit, and Every Day With Rachael Ray as  well as her own blog. ^[5]