Kohlrabi Curry

Kohlrabi returns this year for a cameo appearance.  I learned my lesson last year to ease up on the kohlrabi planting for this year.  Last year I think I must have planted around 16+ kohlrabi, and as illustrated by the week of kohlrabi, it took a lot of kohlrabi dishes to make it through all of that.  This year, I've planted about 4-6 which has been much more manageable and makes me appreciate it each time a bit more!  This dish is an old kohlrabi favorite of mine, so I am surprised it never made it into the week of kohlrabi.  As usual, if you don't have kohlrabi, feel free to substitute other vegetables, such as potatoes or the stems of broccoli for the kohlrabi in the recipe below or to substitute other greens such as kale, collards, or chard for the greens.

Recipe:
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-4 whole cloves
-2 cardamom pods

-2-4 kohlrabi, peeled and cubed

-1 pinch asafetida powder (omit or use garlic as a substitute)

-1 c water
-1 tsp turmeric
-1 tsp ginger
-salt
-2 Tbsp garam masala or curry powder
-1 c yogurt
-1 large bunch kohlrabi greens, chopped
-garnish of cilantro and/or green onions, chopped

->Heat oil in a large pot.  Add cloves and cardamom and saute until aromatic.  Add kohlrabi, turmeric, ginger, and water.  Be careful here and use a lid to block splattering.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until kohlrabi is fork-tender.
Meanwhile, mix yogurt and curry powder.  When kohlrabi is tender, add yogurt mixture, and cook for 5 more minutes.  Add chopped greens, put the lid on the pot, and take off the heat.  Let sit until kohlrabi greens have wilted.  Stir.  Serve with garnish of fresh cilantro and/or chopped green onions.

~*TIP:  Kohlrabi matures much more quickly than other cole crops, in as few as 55 days, and is less sensitive to fluctuations in heat and water conditions.  Use it to fill in gaps in the garden between sowings of vegetables that take longer to mature or to squeeze in a quick spring crop before your summer garden.  I generally pick it when it's just smaller than a tennis ball.  You can always pick it early if you need to open up the space it's occupying, yielding a smaller but even more sweet and tender harvest.  *~