Kohlrabi (Noolkol) Porial

Here comes another favorite vegetable from my list – Kohlrabi, or Noolkol in Tamil !!!

Hey, I can hear some of you murmuring now that I would actually mention each vegetable as my most favorite in each blog. I will! Am not kidding, I really like all vegetables!!! Maybe I should thank my dad for making me the greatest vegetable fan who can appreciate any vegetable!

Kohlrabi belongs to the cabbage family (actually it is not a vegetable, just a “fat” stem), and my mom makes the best Vegetable Korma (or Poricha Kolambu) with it. My Mother-In-Law makes awesome sambar with it and it tastes divine! We also make kootu, porial etc with kohlrabi. You can also grill or roast this vegetable. Kohlrabi leaves can be cooked like beetroot/ radish leaves. And, this vegetable can also be eaten raw like raw papaya salad!

During my recent visit to India, we were descending from the Kodaikanal hills and stopped by a roadside vegetable shop (next to a kohlrabi farm) and got a huge bag of freshly harvested kohlrabi. What an awesome taste those were, and that experience of buying directly buying from the farm was memorable.

I will cover my most favorite Kohlrabi Korma or Poricha Kolambu in later blogs, now let me share an easy Porial recipe in today’s blog.

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Kohlrabi (Noolkol) Porial

Simple yet awesome side dish made with Kohlrabi (Noolkol) - a vegetable belonging to the cabbage family!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Kohlrabi, Noolkol

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Senthil Sadasivam

Ingredients

• 3 Kohlrabi/ Noolkol chopped
• 2 tbsp Yellow split moong dal soaked for 30 mins

Seasoning ingredients

• 1/4 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tbsp Urad dal
• 2 Red chilies broken
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Hing powder
• 1 Onion chopped
• 2 Green chilies chopped
• 1 tsp Turmeric optional
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp Coconut grated or paste

Instructions

1. Wash and soak yellow split moong dal in water for 30 mins. You can substitute chana dal instead of moong dal in which case soak for an hour.

2. Wash the kohlrabis and remove the skin with a food peeler and cut into thin strips or cubes.

3. Take a pan, prepare the tadka (mustard, red chillies, urad dal, curry leaves) and fry some onions, green chilies, and add the chopped kohlrabi, drained soaked moong dal, turmeric (optional), salt, a little water, cover and cook for 5 mins.

4. When it is fully cooked, add grated (or coarsely ground) coconut, mix well.

Recipe Notes

• You can use the same recipe to make variety of veggie porial – chayote squash (chow chow or Bangalore kathirikai), white/ red radish, yellow pumpkin, cabbage, green beans, carrot, beetroot, cauliflower, eggplant, etc.
• This dish is best enjoyed with sambar, kara (vathal) kolambu, any dal, rasam, variety rice, roti etc.