Stir-fries are one of the easiest and most versatile dishes, and with a delicious homemade sauce it's one of my favourites too. Since stir-fries are usually made with half-raw veggies rather than fully-cooked and limp, it's a great way to try out ingredients you've never used before... in this case kohlrabi.
I regularly order organic veg and fruit from a place in Dublin that delivers country-wide for just five euros, and like to try unfamiliar things when they come in season. I had no idea what kohlrabi tasted like or how to prepare it, and then by the grace of the universe a few days later I came across a very helpful post by @erikah who home-grows kohlrabi and detailed all about this vegetable, including cooking tips and nutritional info. Pefect timing! and well-worth checking out if you follow this link.
Since @erikah tells us in her post the flavour is similar to broccoli stem or cabbage heart but sweeter, I thought it might be a good ingredient to try in my stir-fry, to take the place of the popular stir-fry ingredient bamboo, which I don't have. And I can now report that yes, it's perfect for this dish in taste and texture, and I'll definitely be buying it again. Really delicious! The quantities below are enough to serve 4 people, so you can adjust accordingly. And there's no reason why it can't be enjoyed by toddlers as well as adults... my little boy loves slurping up the noodles!
Ingredients (organic recommended):
4 carrots
1 kohlrabi
1 red onion
1-2 bulbs garlic
1 leek
1/4 cabbage
wholewheat/spelt/vegetable noodles
1 carton black chick peas (or 400g cooked-from-dried*)
100ml water
1 tblsp soy sauce (natural ingredients, no additives)
Drizzle honey
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp black pepper
1 tblsp cumin
1 tblsp peanut butter
Splash of balsamic vinegar
* I always have a stash of cooked-from-dried beans in little jars in the freezer, which is super handy if you do a lot of vegan/vegetarian cooking. Please see my previous post on the easiest way to batch cook beans.
Directions:
Peel the carrots, kohlrabi, onion and garlic.
Cut the carrots and kohlrabi into strips.
Slice the leek and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt trapped between the layers.
Dice the onion and finely dice the garlic.
Shred the cabbage.
Rinse the chickpeas.
Cook the noodles and immediately rinse under cold water. Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil and toss the noodles - this prevents them from sticking.
In a large frying pan or wok, melt a knob of coconut oil and saute the carrots for a few minutes.
Add the kohlrabi and continue to saute for a few minutes.
Add the leek, onion and garlic and saute for a further 5 minues.
Add the cabbage and black chickpeas and saute for a few more minutes. Then add the water and all the flavourings.
Add the cold noodles to the pan and toss over heat until mixed up thoroughly with all the veggies and everything is piping hot.
Serve immediately into warmed-bowls, and enjoy!
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("5 Cs" shared with kind permission from @kiwideb)