Vegetarian kohlrabi curry
Adapted from Cooking with Thas by Lori, Yorkville CSA Kohlrabi is popular throughout India; this recipe can be made without a lot of hard-to-find spices. The original recipe calls for a 3-inch slice of fresh tamarind soaked in 5 tablespoons of water. If you don’t have tamarind, lemon or lime juice mixed with sugar is a good substitute for tamarind’s sweet-sour taste.
Ingredients
- 2 TBS oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds or 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1½ tsp cumin seeds or 1½ tsp ground cumin divided
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 red or white onion chopped
- 3 small kohlrabi with leaves about 12 oz – bulbs cut into small chunks, leaves chopped
- ½ tsp ground cayenne more or less to taste
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds optional
- Salt to taste
- Fresh tamarind juice soak a 3-inch slice in 5 TBS warm water, then strain, OR
- 5 TBS lemon or lime juice mixed with 3 TBS granulated sugar
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil, and heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Add the mustard, 1 tsp cumin, and pepper flakes, then sauté for a minute or two until combined and fragrant; if you’re using seeds, they should begin to crack. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the kohlrabi chunks and leaves. Add ½ cup of water, stir, cover the pot and simmer until the kohlrabi is easily pierced with a fork.
- Uncover, add cayenne, turmeric, the rest of the ground cumin, and fennel seeds if using Stir to combine well. Add the lemon-sugar mixture or strained tamarind juice. Cover again and simmer for 5 minutes; add water, a few tablespoons at a time, if it begins to stick.
- Taste and adjust salt and cayenne.
- Serve with rice.
Notes
You can adjust the amounts of water that you add depending on whether you prefer dry or saucy dishes.