Kohlrabi Curry is stir-fried Kohlrabi cooked tender with nutty mung dal (yellow gram lentils) and spiced with a few basic Indian spices. Ready in just 30 minutes this EASY and delicious vegan curry makes for a perfect meal served with hot roti or with rice for a gluten-free meal.
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I grew up eating my mom's Naval Kol Bhaji (Kohlrabi curry) that she had learned from my Aaji (maternal grandmother). During her recent visit, we went to our local farmers' market where we saw lots of summer-fresh Kohlrabi. We bought it home to make this easy and delicious curry and I made sure to record and take notes on the recipe to share it with you!
Kohlrabi (Knol Kol or Naval Kand) is a cruciferous vegetable from the family of cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. The bulb-like light green stem has a neutral taste and is meaty and fibrous making it a perfect addition to curries, lentils, and salads. Tender green leaves are also used in cooking.
Ingredients
- Kohlrabi - Peel the bulbs and dice, and chop the tender leaves.
- Lentils - Yellow Mung Dal or Chana Dal makes the curry hearty and adds protein. I love adding mung dal as it soaks quicker. If you want to add chana dal, soak it for at least 30-minutes in hot water
- Spices - red chili powder, cumin & coriander powder, turmeric, and garam masala add flavor and warmth to the dish
How to make Kohlrabi Curry
- Remove the Kohlrabi stems. Reserve the bulbs and tender leaves
- Peel the outer skin of the bulb and discard
- Dice the peeled bulb into half-inch cubes
- Finely chop the tender leaves
- Heat oil in a medium pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to pop and then add asafetida and turmeric.
- Add diced kohlrabi and mung dal to the pan.
- Mix well and cook covered for low-medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes
- Add the chopped leaves and ground cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well
- Add water to the pan and give a quick stir. Cook covered on low to medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the kohlrabi pieces cook tender
- Turn the heat off and garnish with cilantro
Serving
Serve Kohlrabi curry with hot Roti, Parathas or Puri. For a gluten-free meal, serve with Jowar Roti, Dal Chilla, or Basmati rice. Pair with a crunchy Cucumber Salad or cooling Beet Raita for a hearty vegetarian meal.
Storing
Refrigerate leftover Kohlrabi curry for 3 to 4 days. It makes for a perfect make-ahead recipe. To reheat, microwave or use a stovetop pan.
Variations
- Substitute Mung Dal with chana dal, and soak it for at least 30-minutes in hot water
- On a low-carb diet? Skip the lentils altogether
- This recipe makes a medium spices curry. Add more or less of the red chili powder and garam masala to adjust the spice levels
More Vegan Indian Curry Recipes
Recipe
Kohlrabi Curry
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb Kohlrabi around 3 bulbs
- ½ cup mung dal
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse mung dal and soak it in warm water while you prepare the Kohlrabi.
- Remove the Kohlarabi stems. Reserve the bulbs and tender leaves. Peel the outer skin of the bulb and discard. Dice the peeled bulb into half inch cubes. Finely chop the tender leaves.
- Drain the water out of the soaked mung dal.
- Heat oil in a medium pan. Once the oil is hot add mustard seds and allow them to pop. Add asafetida and turmeric.
- Add diced kohlrabi and mung dal to the pan. Mix well and cook covered for low-medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the chopped leaves and ground cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well.
- Add water and give a quick stir. Cook covered on low to medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the kohlrabi pieces are cooked tender.
- Turn the heat off and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with Roti or Bhakri.
justyna says
This is yum. Defo needs more cooking time. added cream to make more creamy
Archana Mundhe says
Thank you! I agree if the Kohlrabi is not tender it will need more cook time.
LindaKB says
We tried this and loved it! Somehow we ended up with more kohlrabi than expected in our garden. Most ways we've tried it we didn't care for. How well does this recipe freeze? We thought perhaps we'd make up a big batch and freeze it, 2-cups or 4-cups to a container. Will freezing it change the texture of the ingredients? What are your thoughts in this idea?
Jodi says
Flavors are great! A great way to eat Kohlrabi which was not a vegetable I ever had before my CSA had it in my share. Also, first time cooking an Indian dish that wasn’t from a jar!
Archana Mundhe says
That's awesome! Kohlrabi is such an underrated vegetable, and it's great that your CSA introduced you to it. Cooking Indian dishes from scratch is a fun adventure, and I'm glad you enjoyed the flavors.
Susan says
I stumbled on this preparation looking online for kohlrabi recipes. It was indeed quick and delicious. I didn't have Kashmiri red chili powder and followed internet advice to substitute paprika and a little cayenne. No asafetida, either, so used equal parts garlic and onion powder.
Archana Mundhe says
Thank you for the feedback! Your substitutions were perfect!
LindaKB says
We tried this and loved it! Somehow we ended up with more kohlrabi than expected in our garden. Most ways we've tried it we didn't care for. How well does this recipe freeze? We thought perhaps we'd make up a big batch and freeze it, 2-cups or 4-cups to a container. Will freezing it change the texture of the ingredients? What are your thoughts in this idea?
Archana Mundhe says
Hi Linda! I am so glad that you enjoyed this curry. Its a great idea to freeze the cooked dish. It will work well in smaller 2 cup quantities.
Monica says
I had packaged kohlrabi julienne strips, so added them at the last couple of minutes. Delicious !