Steak and potatoes. Spaghetti and meatballs. Hot dogs and beans. Certain foods pair up to perfection. In Pakistan, turnips and lamb are a popular, tasty combination. Cooked with a variety of spices, turnips served Pakistani-style are full of flavor and highly nutritious. Turnips are also popular served as meatless patties.
Step 1
Prepare shalgum gosht, a hearty Pakistani main meal featuring turnips and lamb. Cut the lamb into bite-size pieces. You can substitute mutton for lamb if you like. Peel 4 or 5 turnips and cut into slices, not too thin. Sprinkle the turnips with salt and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 2
Prepare the rest of the shalgum gosht. Skin and chop 2 onions and fry them in oil in a large pan until they are brown. Add spices you like, such as 2 tsp. of garlic and ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. of chili powder and turmeric and 1 1/2 tsp. of ground cumin and coriander. You can also add cinnamon and pepper to taste. Add the meat and stir in a can of tomatoes, cooking 45 minutes over low heat.
Step 3
Add the turnips when the meat is tender. You can also add 2 tsp. of sugar to eliminate any bitterness in the turnips. Cook for 5 minutes until the turnips are tender. Stir in 1 cup of water, cover the pan and reduce the heat. Remove from heat when the sauce thickens. Serve the shalgum gosht over white rice.
Step 4
Try making turnip kababs -- or patties -- a popular meatless meal in Pakistan. Boil 1 pound of turnips for 20 to 25 minutes and mash as you would potatoes. Boil other ingredients for additional flavor, such as lentils, garlic, ginger, peppercorns and white and black cumin seeds.
Step 5
Mash the boiled ingredients and mix in with the mashed turnips. Form the turnip patties, and cover them in egg whites. Heat up some oil in a pan and fry the turnip patties until they are golden brown on both sides.
Tips and Warnings
- Turnips are a winter root vegetable and are best served between October and March. The green tops on turnips are edible. Overcooked turnips lose their tasty crunch.
- Turnips eaten out of season can taste overly bitter. Turnips cooked Pakistani-style can be very spicy, so season to taste.
Things You'll Need
- Large fry pan or skillet
- Turnips
- Lamb meat
- Onions
- Cooking oil
- Canned tomatoes
- Favorite spices and seasonings
- Sugar
- Eggs
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