Kashmiri Kohlrabi
This is not your grandmother's recipe for kohlrabi, unless of course your grandmother is Kashmiri. What we particularly like about this recipe is that nothing goes to waste as not only the swollen stems but the leaves are also used. Adapted from a recipe presented by our good friend Pat Chapman in his 2010 India Food & Cooking, he first encountered this dish in Srinigar, Kashmir on the Indian/Pakistani frontier. In the original dish kohlrabi was pared with lotus root. Because fresh lotus root is not readily available, we’ve swapped out potatoes and have also added in carrot for added flavor and color. We’re very pleased with the result.
1 pound kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1” dice
1 pound waxy boiling potatoes, peeled and cut in half and then into ½” wide half-moons
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½” dice
½ pound (or more) of the leaves removed from the kohlrabi, destemmed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon asafoetida
2 tablespoons black mustard seed
4 garlic cloves, cut into 1/8” slices
½ pound onion, cut in half and then into ¼” strips
2” piece of ginger root, peeled and grated into a paste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup water
salt to taste
1 tablespoon garam masala (optional)
Parboil the prepared kohlrabi, potato, and carrot until just tender. Remove from the hot water and drain. Add in the prepared kohlrabi leaf and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Warm the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is quite hot, add in the asafoetida and mustard seeds. Stir briskly. When the mustard seeds begin to sputter and pop, place a lid on top of the pan and shake the pan in a horizontal motion until the seeds quit sputtering, about 1-2 minutes. Remove lid and add in garlic, onion, ginger and cayenne. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the water, stir to make a sauce, and then toss in the precooked vegetables. Toss to equally distribute the sauce. Sauté until the vegetables are fully tender, about 3-5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt. If you wish to use the garam masala, toss this in as well at this time.
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