Introduction

Kohlrabi is a round-shaped green or purple in color vegetable. The name of this vegetable “Kohlrabi” is derived from the German words “kohl” which means cabbage and “rube” which means turnip. Hence, by appearance, we can say that this vegetable looks like a fusion of cabbage and turnip. This vegetable originated in Northern Europe. The following article is about the vegetable Kohlrabi and Kohlrabi recipe with their benefits, side effects, and some of the well-known Kohlrabi recipes. 

This vegetable is bulbous and is available all year round. The interesting fact of this vegetable is that it is one of the well-known vitamin C plants and research suggests that one cut of kohlrabi is good enough to fulfill the daily dose of vitamin C. 

Kohlrabi is most available in the Springtime. It has two parts, the branch and the roots. Both can be eaten in raw or cooked form and is rich in nutrient and low in calories.

Consuming Kohlrabi helps people to live a healthy life. It also protects individuals against Colon and Prostate Cancer, as it contains a high amount of Vitamin C (need a reference here)

Nutritional Profile 

This plant is very important and has immense benefits because of its high nutritional value. The body of the vegetable which is the bulbous stem itself contains a very high amounts of carbohydrate, proteins, and fats (ranging from 2-5%). Along with this, the bulbs are also rich in minerals like phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, and sulfur. As mentioned above Kolhrabi contains very high amounts of Vitamin C, B2, B3, and B1 (2).

Kohlrabi is rich in nutrients. The nutritional profile is shown in the table below, 

Besides these, other nutrients like Thiamin, Pantothenic acid, Folate, Vitamin A, Carotene, etc. are also there in this vegetable. 

Benefits of Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is highly famous for benefiting human health. It is also well known for its nice taste and the variety of its uses. The benefits of Kohlrabi are, 

1. Rich source of Vitamin C

Kohlrabi is usually consumed in a cooked form, but the stem part is widely used as a salad in winter, as it is a rich source of Vitamin C. There are huge amounts of essential nutrients in Kohlrabi. It also has bioactive compounds which help in reducing chronic disease and cancer (3).

2. Fights with many diseases

Kohlrabi is well known for containing phytochemicals that show a variety of health benefits for humans. It contains noticeable amounts of carotenoids like zeaxanthin and lutein, two important parts of the macula lutea region of the retina and hence it plays a significant role in the prevention of age-related degeneration (4).

3. Easily available

This vegetable is available in all seasons and can be consumed in any form either raw or cooked. The roots and leaves contain high amounts of nutrients which are very essential for human health. 

4. Beneficial for diabetes and inflammation

Kohlrabi also contains secondary metabolites including anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and glucosinolates which lead to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Purple kohlrabies are highly beneficial for their antidiabetic effects as it has a higher concentration of phenolic compounds (5).

5. Encourages a healthy gut

Kohlrabi is a rich source of both resolvable and unresolvable fibers. Resolvable fiber assists in keeping healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Alternatively, unresolvable fiber leads to adding bulk to the stool and helps regular bowel movements which further leads to a healthier digestive system. 

Side Effects of Kohlrabi

Although there are very less side effects of consuming Kohlrabi, if eaten in exit, cess may cause some side effects which are as follows (6).

1. The function of Thyroid Hormone: Eating too much may cause 
2. Depletion of white blood cells. 

Kohlrabi Recipe

Kohlrabi is very easy to cook. The whole vegetable including the leaves of this vegetable is very tasty and crunchy. Some of the Kohlrabi recipe as follows

1. Salad

Kohlrabi can be eaten in raw form. One should separate the leaves and roots. Mainly the leaves are used in Salads. Wash the leaves carefully. Then boil it just for 1-2 mins in salt water. After that one can add the leaves with other vegetables in salad. 

2. Fried Kohlrabi

Ingredients: In this case, the stem part can be used. Cut the stem part into pieces. Wash them carefully. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the chopped kohlrabies. Saute it for 10 minutes by adding salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. One can also add other vegetables like potatoes, peas and also add some porns. 

Tips for selecting and storing Kohlrabi

• If someone is searching for a turnip cabbage flavor, then one can use the bulb of kohlrabi (7).
• For selecting Kohlrabi, one should be very careful about the fact that the leaves are flawless. 
• The bulb is about 3-4 inches in diameter. 
• It should also the noticed that bulbs should be free from any damage. 

How to store Kohlrabi

After buying Kohlrabi, one should be very careful about storing it. 

• First, cut off the Kohlrabi leaves and cover them in a damp paper towel. 
• After that, keep them in a plastic bag. Keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. 
• The bulbs can be reserved in freeze. But make sure to store it for not more than one week. 

Conclusion

Kohlrabi is a group of Brassica vegetables. Other Brassica vegetables are cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and savoy. The benefits of Kohlrabi in human health are very vast. It has several essential nutrients like protein, energy, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C, etc. Kohlrabi fights many harmful and chronic diseases. By consuming it one can also prevent cancer. Due to its dual test, it can be served in various ways in one’s daily diet. But before eating, it should be properly washed. hence the above topic is about this wonderful vegetable and some of the simple Kohlrabi recipe.