Baked kohlrabi fries – a delicious low-carb side dish or a delightful and healthy meal when served together with curry ketchup and a salad or slaw.
KOHLRABI FRIES
Just to set things straight right from the start and to avoid any misunderstandings: these kohlrabi fries will not taste like potato fries. They will taste like kohlrabi.
Nonetheless they are a great low-carb, low-fat alternative to potato fries, as a side dish alongside fish or chicken breast for instance.
Eaten with a salad and homemade curry ketchup they definitely can make a vegetarian meal on their own.
WHAT IS KOHLRABI?
Kohlrabi are part of the cabbage family, same species as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli or cauliflower.
It has a very crisp and juicy consistency, reminding of a radish or of broccoli stem, but sweeter and even crunchier. My favorite way of enjoying kohlrabi is to eat it raw, I just love the crunch and that refreshing sweet taste.
Kohlrabi is a very popular vegetable in Germany, but hardly known outside the German speaking countries. Except from some parts of Northern India, as I have been reading recently.
Too bad that kohlrabi is not so well-known, it is a delicious and healthy vegetable, which definitely deserves more attention.
Kohlrabi is also a versatile vegetable, it can be eaten raw or it can be cooked in many different ways.
Give these wonderful kohlrabi recipes a try:
Creamy Kohlrabi Soup with Potatoes
Stuffed Kohlrabi – Two Ways
HOW TO PEEL KOHLRABI
While the tender stems and the kohlrabi leaves are fine to eat, you will have to remove the skin of the kohlrabi, as it is rather tough and it will not soften when cooked.
To peel a kohlrabi remove the tender stems with the leaves. You will not need them to make this kohlrabi fries recipe, but you can add them to the salad that will accompany the kohlrabi fries for instance.
The stems and the leaves can also be added to soups, the leaves can be stewed like any other greens and, if larger, can be stuffed the way you would stuff cabbage or vine leaves.
Place the kohlrabi bulb on a cutting board and slice off the top and the bottom. Remove the woody part found at the bottom of the kohlrabi bulb as well.
Peel the kohlrabi like you would peel an apple, using a small knife or a vegetable peeler.
To use in this kohlrabi fries recipe, slice the kohlrabi thickly and cut the slices into sticks resembling potato fries.
HOW TO MAKE CURRY KETCHUP
We will start with the curry ketchup recipe, as the curry ketchup will need some time to cool down before you serve it with the kohlrabi fries.
Step 1: Finely chop the tomatoes and grate the ginger.
Step 2: Cook the tomatoes, ginger and chili in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir for 1 or 2 minutes until the vinegar reduces.
Step 3: Add the tomato paste and curry powder, stir well, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce is thicker.
Step 4: Start with 1 tablespoon honey, add some fine sea salt and pepper as well. Stir well and adjust the taste with more honey, if necessary. The amount of honey needed depends on the acidity of the tomatoes and on personal taste.
Step 5: Blend the sauce with an immersion blender. Add 2-3 tablespoons water if you feel that the curry ketchup is too thick.
Let the curry ketchup cool and serve with the kohlrabi fries.
The curry ketchup keeps well in the fridge. You can keep it in an airtight container (jar) for about a week.
HOW TO MAKE KOHLRABI FRIES
Step 1: Peel the kohlrabies, slice them and cut the slices into sticks resembling fries.
Step 2: Place them in small bowl, add the oil and the spices. Mix well with your hands, making sure that the kohlrabi fries are thoroughly covered with the oil and the spices.
Step 3: Give the kohlrabi fries on a tray lined with baking paper making sure that you don't overcrowd the tray, they should have enough space and not touch each other too much.
Step 4: Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 25 minutes according to how thick the sticks are. They should still have a bit of a bite at the end of the cooking time. Keep an eye on them as well, you don't want them to become too dark. Place the kohlrabi fries in a serving bowl and add salt to taste.
Serve the kohlrabi fries with curry ketchup and a green salad with yogurt dressing, for instance. A coleslaw would make a great side as well.
You can also serve the kohlrabi fries as a low-carb side dish for chicken, fish or meat dishes.
Kohlrabi Fries with Curry Ketchup - Low-Carb Fries
Ingredients
- Curry ketchup:
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar more to taste
- ¼ cup (scant) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes more to taste
- 1 tablespoon runny honey more to taste
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Kohlrabi fries:
- 2 medium kohlrabies
- 1 tablespoon oil
- hot paprika powder
- sweet paprika powder
- curry powder optional
- fine sea salt and ground pepper
Instructions
Curry ketchup:
- Chop the tomatoes finely, grate the ginger.
- Saute: Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes, ginger, and chili and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir for 1 or 2 minutes until the vinegar reduces.
- Simmer: Add the tomato paste and curry powder, stir well, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce thicker.
- Add 1 tablespoon honey, salt, and pepper. Stir well and adjust the taste with more honey, if necessary. The amount of honey needed depends on the acidity of the tomatoes and personal preference.
- Blend the sauce with an immersion blender; you might need to add 2-3 tablespoons of water if the curry ketchup is too thick.
- Let cool and serve with the kohlrabi fries.
Kohlrabi fries:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare kohlrabi: Peel, slice them and cut the slices into sticks resembling fries. Place them in a small bowl, add the oil, hot or sweet paprika powder, some curry powder, if you wish, and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix well with your hands.
- Roast: Spread the fries on a tray lined with baking paper (don't overcrowd the tray, they should have enough space and not touch each other too much) and bake for about 15 to 25 minutes according to how thick the sticks are. They should still have a bit of a bite at the end of the cooking time. Keep an eye on them as well; you don't want them to become too dark.
- Serve: Place them in a serving bowl and add salt to taste.
Nutrition
Penny Soppas says
Tried the pork with rhubarb sauce yesterday. It was amazing!