Xploring Kohlrabi

I wanted to try Kohlrabi ever since I read about it in Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. She has described this vegetable wonderfully. Kohlrabi, or gant-gobi as it is called in India, belongs to the cabbage family. The bottom part is turnip shaped while the top part consists of green leaves. The kohlrabi head should be peeled before cooking.

I found Kohlrabi in the organic section of Kroger and decided to explore it for Nupur's A-Z series. Peeling the head took quite some effort and I found it very difficult to cut it. P helped me in the cutting and chopping. Be very careful while cutting this vegetable as it has a hard cover.

Spicy kohlrabi stew with tomatoes

Serves:4 to 6

Ingredients

1. 6 kohlrabi heads


2. 2 tbsp oil


3. 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds


4. Pinch of asafetida


5. 4 dried whole red chillies


6. 5 medium tomatoes chopped fine


7. 1/2 cup tomato puree


8. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder


9. Salt to taste


10. 1/4 tsp sugar

Method

1. Cut off about 1/8 of each kohlrabi at the bottom end. Peel the rest and cut into chunky quarters.


2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.


3. Put in the cumin seeds and after they splutter, add the asafetida and red chillies. Stir briefly till the chillies turn dark red.


4. Add the kohlrabi and stir 2-3 times.


5. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, 1/2 cup water, salt to taste, and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.


6. Cover and cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes. The kohlrabi should be tender once cooked.


7. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Verdict: I was lucky to have been introduced to this veggie. I am going to try new recipes with it.