Kohlrabi fritters

Have you ever seen a kohlrabi before? They are bizarre. Completely weird. They look like a cross between a spaceship and a Pokemon.

This is what I’m talking about, in case you’ve never seen one.

I’d never cooked with one before I made these kohlrabi fritters – in fact I’d never even seen one in real life. They’re not exactly common in the supermarkets around here. To be honest I was genuinely impressed that I was even able to name it when it appeared in a veg box I had delivered the other week. I definitely felt a bit smug about that for a while, even if I did have to Google it to double check.

It’s not often that I get to try an entirely new vegetable. I had literally no idea what it would be like – did it have layers like a cabbage? Or like an onion? Was it full of seeds? Did it have a core?

Turns out: it has none of these things. Actually, below the tough skin, the texture is almost exactly like an apple – pretty juicy, and slightly grainy. It was perfect for making these kohlrabi fritters!

Flavour-wise, it’s pretty mild – it smells faintly of broccoli. It’s got a fresh crunch to it when eaten raw, but I decided to do something a bit more exciting than just chopping it up and eating it raw.

These kohlrabi fritters were really easy to make – just grate the kohlrabi and a couple of carrots, mix them with a couple of eggs and some flour, along with some fresh spring onions and chives, and add good dollops of the mixture to some oil in a pan. They end up perfectly crispy on the outside, with a nice soft middle.

I really enjoyed my first experience with kohlrabi! What bizarre vegetable should I try next? (and, more importantly: where on earth can I get weird vegetables from?)

Print Recipe

Kohlrabi fritters

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main meal

Calories:

Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 kohlrabi
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 large spring onions or a few more if they have smaller bulbs, sliced
• 3 tbsp fresh chives chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

• First, prepare the kohlrabi. Cut off the leaves and stalks, and then peel the vegetable. It can be quite tough, so I found that it was much easier to use a knife than a peeler. Once peeled, cut out any particularly tough areas, such as the root, and then grate the remaining flesh.
• Squeeze the grated kohlrabi in kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture (don’t worry if you can’t get every last drop).
• Peel and grate the carrots, and mix the two grated vegetables in a large bowl. Add the chopped spring onions and chives, along with the eggs, flour, and plenty of seasoning. Mix thoroughly.
• Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down just a touch and begin to add the fritter mixture. You'll need to cook the fritters in a few batches ­ I did about three in the pan simultaneously. Use about two heaped tablespoons of the mixture per fritter, and gently press it down so that the fritters don't end up too thick in the middle. Cook for around 3 minutes, until the underside is golden brown and crispy, and then carefully turn each fritter over with a flat spatula. Repeat with the other side.
• When the fritters are ready, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. If you want to, you can keep them warm in the oven while you cook the next few batches. You will probably need to add a touch more oil to the pan in between batches, to ensure that the fritters become golden brown rather than charring.
• Serve warm.