Kohlrabi curry

Ingredients

• 1onion
• to tasteneutral oil
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 60 gfresh ginger
• 800 mlwater
• 200 gred split lentils
• 1 tbspMadras curry powder
• 1 tbspturmeric
• 2 tspground cumin
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 600 mlcoconut milk
• 1 stalklemongrass
• 600 gkohlrabi
• 200 gbasmati rice
• 1 tspturmeric
• 100 gcoconut milk
• to tastesalt
• 4lime leaves, or 1 stalk lemongrass
• 150 ggram flour
• 2 tspground cumin
• 200 mlsparkling water
• 5 largeonions
• as neededoil for deep-frying
• 150 mlfull-fat yoghurt
• 1 bunchcoriander
• a few sprigsmint
• a splashsweetened sushi vinegar

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the onion

   Peel and finely chop the onion. Warm a splash of oil in a casserole and cook the onion over a low heat for 3–4 minutes.

2. 2

   Blend aromatics

   Meanwhile, peel the garlic and ginger, using a spoon to scrape the ginger skin if helpful, then roughly chop them. Blend with 500 ml of the water.

3. 3

   Toast the lentils

   Add the lentils to the onion and cook for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Season the curry

   Stir in the Madras curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add the blend

   Pour in the garlic-and-ginger mixture to deglaze the pan.

6. 6

   Simmer the curry

   Bruise the lemongrass and add it to the pan with the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Prepare kohlrabi

   Meanwhile, peel the kohlrabi and cut it into barrel shapes, or into cubes or wedges.

8. 8

   Cook the kohlrabi

   After the curry has simmered for 10 minutes, add the kohlrabi and cook for about 10 minutes more, until tender.

9. 9

   Rinse the rice

   Wash the rice in a bowl until the water runs clear, then drain it in a sieve.

10. 10

    Toast the turmeric

    Warm the turmeric in a dry saucepan until fragrant.

11. 11

    Start the rice

    Add the coconut milk, water, a pinch of salt, lime leaves and rice to the pan. Stir and bring to the boil.

12. 12

    Steam the rice

    Cut a circle of baking paper to fit the pan and place it over the rice. Turn the heat right down and cook for 20–30 minutes, until the rice is done.

13. 13

    Mix the batter

    Combine the gram flour, cumin and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

14. 14

    Add sparkling water

    Gradually stir in the sparkling water until you have a thick batter.

15. 15

    Slice the onions

    Peel the onions and cut them into thin rings.

16. 16

    Heat the frying oil

    Heat the oil to 180°C.

17. 17

    Make herb yoghurt

    Pick the mint and coriander leaves. Blend them with the yoghurt, sushi vinegar, cumin and a pinch of salt to make a sauce, then set it aside until serving.

18. 18

    Fry the onions

    Use your hands to coat the onion rings in batter, then fry them in batches for 3 minutes until golden.

19. 19

    Drain and serve

    Lift the onion fritters from the pan and drain them on kitchen paper. Season with salt and serve with the yoghurt sauce.

What is kohlrabi curry?

Kohlrabi is a crisp-stemmed brassica, often cooked like a root vegetable, while curry describes a broad family of spiced dishes rather than one fixed recipe. This Asian-inspired version cooks the vegetable with red lentils, coconut milk and aromatics.

The meal brings together several textures: a soft, gently spiced curry, fragrant rice, crisp onion fritters and a cool herb sauce. The separate components make it feel like a complete dinner rather than a one-pot curry.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1150 calories, 35g protein, 137g carbs, 51g fat.

The rice and lentils provide most of the carbohydrates, while the coconut milk and frying oil contribute much of the fat; the lentils, gram flour and yoghurt add protein. Serve with a generous share of kohlrabi and curry, and use the fritters and sauce as toppings to balance the plate.

Building the curry base

Aromatics: Gently cooking the chopped onion gives the curry its savoury foundation. Blending the garlic and ginger with water distributes them through the sauce.

Spices: Briefly frying the curry powder, turmeric and cumin helps their fragrance bloom before the liquid goes in. Keep the heat moderate so they do not scorch.

Getting tender kohlrabi

Cutting: The recipe suggests turning the peeled kohlrabi into barrel shapes, but cubes or wedges work too. Aim for pieces of similar size so they cook at roughly the same rate.

Doneness: Add the kohlrabi after the lentils have simmered for 10 minutes, then give it about 10 minutes more. Check a piece with a knife; it should be tender without losing its shape.

Cooking the rice

Rinsing: Wash the basmati rice until its rinsing water runs clear, then drain it well. This removes loose surface starch and helps the cooked grains stay distinct.

Gentle heat: The turmeric is toasted dry until fragrant before the rice, coconut milk, water and lime leaves go in. The baking-paper cover and very low heat help the rice cook gently for 20–30 minutes.

Crisp onion fritters

Batter: Stir the sparkling water into the gram flour, cumin and salt gradually, stopping when the mixture is thick enough to coat the onion rings. The recipe calls for dipping the rings by hand.

Frying: Bring the oil to 180°C and fry the rings in batches for 3 minutes until golden. Drain them on kitchen paper and season with salt while serving them crisp.

Fresh herb-yoghurt sauce

Herbs: Pick the leaves from the mint and coriander and blend them with yoghurt, sweetened sushi vinegar, cumin and a pinch of salt. The sauce adds a cool, tangy contrast to the warm curry.

Serving: Make the sauce while the oil heats, then keep it aside until the fritters are ready. Spoon it over the plate or serve it alongside for dipping.

Putting the plate together

Timing: The curry and rice both need a gentle simmer, so start them first and prepare the fritters and sauce while they cook. Keep an eye on the rice towards the end of its 20–30-minute cooking time.

To serve: Spoon the turmeric rice and kohlrabi curry onto plates, then add onion fritters and herb-yoghurt sauce. The combination of soft, crunchy and fresh elements is the point of serving all four components together.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a spoon to scrape the ginger skin if it is awkward to peel with a knife.
• Bruise the lemongrass before adding it so it can release more aroma into the curry.
• Cut the kohlrabi into even pieces to help it cook uniformly.
• Keep the rice at a very low simmer and check it towards the end of its cooking time.
• Fry the onion rings in batches so they have room to turn golden.
• Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and serve them soon after frying for the best crunch.

Variations

• Use lime leaves: Choose the four lime leaves for the rice instead of the alternative lemongrass stalk.
• Change the kohlrabi cut: Use cubes or wedges if turning it into barrels feels fiddly.
• Adjust the spice: Add less Madras curry powder for a gentler flavour.
• Make the sauce tangier: Add the sushi vinegar gradually and stop when it suits your taste.
• Serve without fritters: Leave out the onion fritters for a simpler curry-and-rice meal.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Scorching the spices: Keep the heat moderate and stir for just 1 minute before adding liquid.
• Uneven kohlrabi pieces: Cut similar-sized shapes so some do not turn soft before others are tender.
• Skipping the rice rinse: Wash until the water runs clear, then drain the grains before cooking.
• Boiling the rice hard: Turn the heat right down after it comes to the boil and cook it gently.
• Crowding the frying pan: Fry the fritters in batches so they can brown rather than steam.
• Serving soggy fritters: Drain them on kitchen paper and bring them to the table soon after frying.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover curry and rice separately in covered containers and use within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot; warm the fritters in an oven or air fryer to help restore some crispness, as they soften in storage.

Frequently asked questions