Fried Kohlrabi with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

I find kohlrabi to be one of the most fascinating veggies.

Oblique view of a batch of battered and deep fried kohlrabi wedges along with a wooden bowl full of lime green cilantro yogurt dipping sauce.

Admittedly, this is in part because many people don’t know about it, and I find pride in living outside of the mainstream. But mostly, this is because it’s such an odd-looking and delicious vegetable.

Here in the United States, the alien-looking bulbs are available at some grocery chains, but thye tend to be more widely available at farmers markets or specialty stores. I buy mine from a farmer friend or from my favorite neighborhood Asian grocer.

Top down view of a batch of fried kohlrabi wedges with a wooden bowl of cilantro yogurt dipping sauce.

Nina wrote about the history of this cousin to broccoli and cabbage, and her post inspired me to go out and buy a bag full of these fun friends.

Close up of a half a fried kohlrabi wedge that has had a bite taken from it.

As I made my way through the checkout, I saw the employees at the register and the bagging station exchange a smile – I’m not sure anyone had ever come in just to buy fifteen kohlrabi before.

Top down view of a batch of fried kohlrabi wedges with a green dipping sauce made with cilantro and yogurt.

For a fun lunch treat, I like to cut, bread, and fry them into crispy kohlrabi fries. It’s a filling vegetarian meal, made even better with this cilantro and a dipping sauce made with a yogurt base. They’re also exceptionally tasty with ketchup, making this a kid-approved veg dish to boot.

Homemade Fried Kohlrabi with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce on a blue and white patterned plate.

If you enjoy this recipe and are officially fascinated by this bulbous produce, give my vegan creamy kohlrabi soup recipe a try.

Homemade Fried Kohlrabi with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce Recipe
Kohlrabi Fries with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce
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Rating: 5
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Homemade Fried Kohlrabi with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce Recipe
Kohlrabi Fries with Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Votes: 3
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fries:
  • 4 bulbs kohlrabi
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg* whisked
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
For the Dipping Sauce:
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon brown mustard
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt optional- to taste
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
  1. Bring a medium-size pot of water to boil. Peel the kohlrabi bulbs and boil whole until a fork can pierce through to the center with minimal resistance.
  2. While the kohlrabi is boiling, blend together the yogurt, cilantro, mustard, and red pepper flakes in a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender. Season with salt to taste. Scoop into small ramekins for dipping.
  3. Let the bulbs cool, then slice into 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick strips.
  4. Heat the oil in a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Dredge the kohlrabi slices in flour that has been seasoned with a dash of salt and papper, egg, and breadcrumbs. Then fry until brown and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.
  5. Let cool on a paper towel drain off any excess oil. Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

 

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step One – Prep & Boil

Start by cleaning and peeling your kohlrabi bulbs. Oftentimes the vegetable will come with its stalks and leaves still attached. These need to be cut off – but there’s no need to throw them away! These will make a tasty side salad. Be sure to save them for later.

Top down view of a kohlrabi in the process of being peeled.

My local grocer sells the bulbs with the stalks already removed, so I only need to peel them. For this step, use a paring knife or a good vegetable peeler to slice the skin from the bulb. Be sure to take off all of the tough skin – otherwise you will be fighting to bite through it, even after it’s boiled.

Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil and cook the peeled vegetables until they are tender enough for a fork to pierce through to the center with minimal resistance. You don’t want them to become soft and mushy, just al dente.

Step Two – Blend

While the veggies are boiling, quickly throw together your dipping sauce. Blend the yogurt, cilantro, mustard, and red pepper flakes together in a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender.

The ingredients for the Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce

I love using the sweet and smoky Marash pepper for seasoning in this dip. This is more widely known as Aleppo pepper, grown in the Syrian city with the same name.

True Aleppo pepper is difficult to come by these days. But the tasty Marash, grown in Turkey, is often sold under the same name. Look for it at any specialty grocer or spice shop – it’ll make a nice addition to your spice rack.

Season your dip to taste with salt. Since the mustard is already salty, I prefer to skip it. Scoop into small ramekins for dipping and set aside until you’re ready to serve, on the counter or in the fridge.

Step Three – Cut

Once your kohlrabi has cooled enough to handle, slice it into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inches in thickness.

Kohlrabi sliced into chunks | Foodal.com

If you are facing a lot of resistance with the knife around the edges, you might not have peeled the bulb sufficiently. Don’t fret! Just look to see if there are any fibrous pieces giving you trouble, and peel them off now.

Step Four – Dredge

Scoop your flour into a small bowl and season it with a dash of salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk your egg. Place your panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl or shallow dish.

Kohlrabi pieces, flour, egg, and panko crumbs | Foodal.com

Heat the oil up in a skillet over medium-high heat for frying.

To dredge your strips, dip them first in flour until lightly coated, transfer to the egg wash, then finish with panko breadcrumbs.

Pieces of Kohlrabi being dipped in flour, eggs, and panko crumbs | Foodal.com

Place gently in the hot oil and fry in a skillet until crispy and brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

Chunks of breaded Kohlrabi being fried | Foodal.com

Step Five – Enjoy!

Once browned, let your fries cool on a paper towel. This will drain off any extra oil and help them to stay crispy.

Serve with the cilantro dipping sauce. You can also dip them in ketchup for a more kid-friendly treat.

Top down view of a batch of fried kohlrabi wedges with a container of cilantro yogurt dipping sauce and a second container of ketchup.

Who said vegetarian dining can’t be fun? Give these yummy treats a try today!

And if you need more fun recipes with this crunchy cruciferous as the main ingredients, try my recipe for spicy spiralized kohlrabi slaw.

Have you ever seen this crazy-looking veggie at the market? Tell us about your favorite way to serve kohlrabi in the comments.


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A collage of photos showing different views fried kohlrabi with cilantro yogurt sauce.

Photos by Kendall Vanderslice, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Kendall Vanderslice

Kendall’s love of food has taken her around the world. From baking muffins on a ship in West Africa and milking cows with Tanzanian Maasai, to hunting down the finest apfelstrudel in Austria, she continually seeks to understand the global impact of food. Kendall holds a BA in Anthropology from Wheaton College and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University, and has worked in the pastry departments of many of Boston’s top kitchens. Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Kendall helps to run a small community supported bread bakery and writes about the intersection of food, faith, and culture on her personal blog, A Vanderslice of the Sweet Life.

7 thoughts on “Fried Kohlrabi with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce”

  1. Well I cannot really say that I have had anything quite like this, but when it comes to fried foods I love having a cool sauce to dip it in, and the color really helps too, especially in this case. It immediately made my think of my grandmother who would always say that we eat with our eyes first, and that kind of always just stuck with me. This really looks delicious though, so I will have to keep it around. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  2. I’ve never tried fried kohlrabi but it sounds like it would be fantastic and go well with maybe some fried okra or even fried pickles. The cilantro sauce with yogurt is also a new one for me. I imagine that as a dipping sauce it’s much better for you than something like “ranch” salad dressing and just as tasty as I love cilantro. I think I might have that cilantro sauce with some fried mushrooms and okra as a side dish even if I skip the kohlrabi. The only thing I’d change in this recipe is that I’d definitely opt for virgin coconut oil rather than “vegetable” oil. Other than that it sounds so delicious and healthy that it’s right up my alley so to speak. It’s often hard to find recipes for healthy dishes like this and I’m always looking out for them.

    Reply
    • It would definitely be tasty with fried okra or fried pickles. Oooh I’m imagining the fried pickles with cilantro sauce right now and it sounds spectacular 😉

      Reply
  3. I’ve never thought of cooking kohlrabi in this way, but it looks delicious! I used to eat cauliflower cooked this way in a restaurant in Michigan, but without the tasty dip. It looks a bit like Indian cilantro chutney. Bob makes a good suggestion with friend mushrooms and okra. Some okra even comes pre-fried and breaded. I love the dipping sauce. I wonder how it would taste with a bit of chipotle pepper paste for a little extra “kick”?

    Reply
    • Mmm some chipotle would be really great. I like the little kick that the Aleppo pepper gives, but it definitely would not hurt to add a little more with the chipotle.

      Reply
  4. I’ve always considered the cilantro sauce as one of the best sauces ever, my mom always prepares it so we can eat it along with some cookies, however, this really looks amazing. Ipersonally thought those were chicken nuggets, I had never seen those before.
    Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • They are great option similar to chicken nuggets! I would gladly feed them to my own younger siblings or children that I take care of. They are really delicious, a fun finger food.

      Reply

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