Spiced lentils, kohlrabi and wild garlic

Hurray for wild garlic season again. It's with us for just a few short weeks (during which time I am quite likely to smell of garlic). Then it's gone for another year, to be followed by the British asparagus season, and I'll know that summer really is on the way.

It took me less than five minutes to gather half a carrier bag full of wild garlic in the Surrey hills last week. Some of it made its way onto a mushroom, garlic and ricotta pizza - one of my perennial favourites. The rest went into this dish of spiced lentils. A curry or something similar really is one of the best ways to use wild garlic. This is not a subtle ingredient, so it can really stand up to strong spices, as well as taking the place of the garlic you would probably be putting in your curry anyway.

I've made spiced lentils with wild garlic a few times in the past. On this occasion I also had some kohlrabi from the farmers' market. Kohlrabi is an ingredient that I don't think I've ever cooked before. The fat bulbs loitered in the fridge for a couple of weeks while I pondered what to do with them. They worked rather well here - the spices complemented the mild flavour, and the kohlrabi provided a welcome change in texture against the lentils.

This quantity serves four - I like to make enough for leftovers as they will be even better after a day or two in the fridge.

Ingredients

Serves 4 

2 onions
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 small hot chilli, finely chopped, or 1tsp hot chilli powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1 tsp ground coriander
3 medium kohlrabi
300g red lentils
A handful or two of wild garlic
Small bunch coriander, chopped (optional)

Method

Peel the woody skin from the kohlrabi. (A small sharp knife is better for this than a vegetable peeler, as the woody layer of skin is thicker than carrot or potato skins.) Cut into medium cubes 1cm (1/2in) or so across.
Chop the onions and put in a large saucepan with the vegetable oil. Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes, during which time you can grind the cumin seeds as much as possible in a pestle and mortar. Add the crushed cumin, the chilli and the other spices to the pan and cook for a further minute.
 Add the lentils, chopped kohlrabi and enough water to cover. Put a lid on the pan and simmer on a low heat for about 30 minutes or until the kohlrabi and lentisl are soft. Check regularly to make sure that there is enough water, and stir to check that lentils are not burning at the bottom of the pan.
Chop the wild garlic leaves roughtly and add to the pan, stirring in to the rest of the mixture. Cover again and simmer for 5 minutes further or until the garlic is thoroughly wilted.
Taste and add more spices and seasoning if necessary. 

Garnish with chopped coriander, if using.

Serve either on its own, or with rice or Indian breads such as chapati or naan.