Prep 25 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon dried kombu or nori powder – blitz a sheet in a spice grinder or food processor
- 1½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, finely crushed
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- Flaked sea salt
- 3-4 medium kohlrabi, trimmed and peeled, (can also use green papaya , large radish or daikon)
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 2cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar
- 6 spring onions, finely chopped
- 60ml coconut oil
Method:
- Put the first seven ingredients in a small bowl with half a teaspoon of flaked sea salt.
- Slice the kohlrabi as thinly as possible – use a mandolin, ideally.
- Stack the slices on top of each other in manageable piles and cut into 2cm-wide strips to resemble very short tagliatelle.
- Transfer to a bowl with the lime juice and a teaspoon of flaked sea salt, toss and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the ginger and three-quarters of a teaspoon of flaked sea salt in a mortar and pound to a paste.
- Transfer to a small bowl with the vinegar and two-thirds of the spring onion.
- Heat the oil in a small pan on a medium heat until warm, then pour over the ginger and spring onion, and leave to steep for 20 minutes.
- Drain the kohlrabi to get rid of the liquid that’s collected at the bottom of the bowl, then toss with the oil and ginger mixture.
- Transfer to a platter, sprinkle over the mixed seeds and nuts, and finish with the remaining spring onion.
Heat, acidity and the numbing effect of ginger and Sichuan pepper create an intensity here that can flavour an entire meal. Serve this with some fried tofu and a bowl of rice. Kohlrabi is an underused vegetable that I love. If you can’t get any, this will also work with a large radish, such as daikon, or with green papaya. The salad can discolour and go a bit soggy, so it’s best to toss it together just before serving.