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Recipes – № 24

Kohlrabi Curry

Indian lentils/dal cooked with kohlrabi

I know that strictly speaking there is no such thing as a "curry." Confronted with the vast complexities of regional cuisines, the flabbergasted British colonizers came up with this term as a catch-all for pretty much any food or spice mix from the Indian subcontinent. To this day, however, the word curry conjures up intense flavors, thick, orange- or yellow-hued stews and complex South Asian spices. This dish is all of those things, and since even my Indian friends use the word, I named this recipe kohlrabi curry. A more appropriate name would be kohlrabi dal (lentils). With this acknowledgement out of the way, let’s get down to business.

I've always associated kohlrabi with Central European cuisines, but it’s actually quite common in Indian cooking too. Alice Waters points out that many Indian spices complement the mild sweetness of cooked kohlrabi, and after trying this dish a few times, I have to say I wholeheartedly agree. This recipe is adapted from her book The Art of Simple Food II. I tweaked it minimally and upped the quantity because it’s great for leftovers. I like to serve this dal with a simple raita of yogurt, cilantro and fresh mint (see recipe), as well as basmati rice or chapattis.

Serves 8 as a main course

2.5 cups (1 lb) red lentils or any other lentil variety.

½ cup olive oil or coconut oil

3 medium onions

garlic cloves

1 heaping tsp ground dried turmeric or 1 heaping Tbsp peeled and chopped fresh turmeric

1 ½ lbs peeled kohlrabi. You'll need around 2 ½ lbs unpeeled, medium-sized kohlrabi.

Fresh hot chili to taste (optional, any variety)

1 heaping tsp cumin seeds

1 heaping tsp black mustard seeds

2 dozen fresh or dried curry leaves

Fine sea salt

Equipment: Mesh skimmer

 

Peel the kohlrabi using a knife, taking care to rid it of all the woodsy parts near the skin. Peel and dice the onions. Peel and chop the garlic. Sauté the onions in 5 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes in a large pot. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for another minute. Rinse the lentils, add them to the pot with some salt and 2 quarts (8 cups) of water and bring to a boil. In the meantime, chop the chili and use a large knife to dice the kohlrabi into 1/3-inch cubes, cutting several kohlrabi slices at a time. Once the pot starts boiling, use a mesh skimmer to skim off the frothy scum that builds on the surface. You will inevitably scoop up some chopped onions and garlic, but you can hold the mesh skimmer under running hot water to rinse off the scum, then return the onions and garlic to the pot. Once the froth stops forming, add the kohlrabi, chili and turmeric and cook until both the kohlrabi and lentils are soft, about 30-40 minutes.

When the lentils and kohlrabi are cooked, prepare the sizzle: heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not quite smoking, add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and curry leaves and cover to contain the splattering oil. Fry for 1 minute and pour the spices and oil into the large pot. Stir and add more salt or chili to taste. 

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