Yes, you might say that for someone who cooks often, I’ve been living under a rock. I had never tasted kohlrabi and while I had spotted it at farmers’ markets, I had never adventured to cook with it. But all that changed with a recent discovery – that it is a versatile vegetable that is low in carbs.
“What does it taste like?”, I asked my favorite farmer. She said it had the slight spiciness of a radish married with the crispness of a green apple. I proceeded to buy a bunch and cautiously tasted a slice. The taste and the texture translated into my aha moment – this might be a good low carb substitute for potatoes in any number of dishes, enabling my husband to indulge in a version of some of his favorite high carb foods.
The stew that I created is a favorite from my childhood days. Dad and mom made this concoction of ginger, green chilies, potatoes, onions and coconut milk which was the perfect accompaniment to steamed rice or fresh bread. Out went the potatoes and in came the kohlrabis to make their debut in this simple, yummy comfort food which turned out to be a big hit.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-sized farm fresh kohlrabi, skin removed and chopped into cubes
- 1 large red onion chopped into pieces the same size as the kohlrabi
- 6 green chilies, 2 finely chopped and four sliced vertically (less if you can’t tolerate heat)
- 1.5-inch piece ginger finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- A few sprigs of curry leaves (optional)
How To:
1. Place all the ingredients except the coconut milk in a pan, cover the vegetables with water and cook covered till the kohlrabi is firm but done – a fork inserted should slide in easily, but the vegetable should retain its shape (about 15-20 minutes). At this point, there will be some water in the pan, but it will not be watery.
2. Add the coconut milk, mix gently and simmer the mixture for a few minutes.
3. Turn off the stove and wait 10 minutes before serving the stew with steamed rice or bread.
4. The result is super yum and a gift for those on a low carb diet.
Tip 1: You could also puree this and serve it as a soup and it tastes amazing, the combination of chilies and coconut milk playing a tropical dance on your tongue!
Tip 2: You could use cauliflower instead of kohlrabi for another lovely low carb version as well.
If you cook kohlrabi frequently, I’d love to hear your suggestions!
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