Kohlrabi Greens with Home-garden Chard Coconut Cumin Kalonji Mung Bean Koottu

The kohlrabi greens along with fleshy, juicy kohlrabi bulbs came together with some home garden chard and mung beans for this simple koottu with cumin, Nigella sativa seeds, coconut and chilies as the primary flavoring.

Although it looks pretty involved with a lot of ingredients, it is actually a very simple, earthy dish. As always, flavors and spices can be adjusted to taste. Since the greens and kohlrabi are fairly bland, the layering of flavors helps develop this dish. The starter flavor of garlic, chilies and mint brings an appetizing aroma, and the finish with the flavoring coconut+cumin+nigella paste rounds out the dish.


Ingredients
1 kohlrabi plus a small bunch of kohlrabi greens with stems
6 to 8 large chard leaves with stems
1 medium vine tomato, diced
½ cup split yellow mung beans
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 whole lemon
salt to taste

Flavoring Paste:
1 Tablespoon Nigella sativa (aka kalonji) seeds
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
4 Tablespoons dry grated coconut

Starter flavor to be crushed in mortar/pestle:
3 green chilies
12 mint leaves
3 garlic cloves

Tempering:
1 teaspoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon urad dal
½ teaspoon mustard seeds

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the Starter flavors crushed, a pinch of salt and turmeric, and saute till aromatic
2. Add the mung beans, 4 cups of water, chopped kohlrabi, tomatoes plus the greens
3. Sprinkle salt, stir well, cover and simmer till kohlrabi and mung beans are cooked
4. Meanwhile, combine the Flavoring Paste ingredients and grind into a fine powdery mixture
5. Optional Tempering: heat the oil in a small pan, add the urad dal, when it turns golden brown, add the mustard seeds, when mustard seeds pop remove from heat
6. When kohlrabi and mung beans are cooked, stir in the Flavoring paste, stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice, top with tempering, and serve warm with basmati rice or naan