Shalgam Gosht – Lamb with white turnips

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g turnip(s), small white (such as Teltower, or swede if necessary)
• Salt
• 400 g onion(s), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, 2 of them chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger root, finely chopped
• 400 g tomatoes (can or tetra pack)
• 300 g bones (lamb bones) for the broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Oil or ghee
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, ground
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 4 cardamom pods, black
• 6 cardamom pods, green
• 1 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 800 g lamb for braising, diced and fat removed

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Recipe from Kashmir, India

Place the lamb bones in a pan with ½ liter of water, 1 crushed garlic clove, and the bay leaf and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and reserve the stock. Peel the turnips and cut into fairly thin slices. Sprinkle with salt, rub in well, and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the salt and drain the turnips. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the turnips for about 20 minutes, until golden yellow and slightly crispy, turning a few times to brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Sauté the onions for about 20 minutes at low to medium heat until golden brown. Be careful, if the heat is too high, the onions will not brown evenly! Add the chopped ginger and chopped garlic and fry for another 5 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, ground turmeric, fennel, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 tablespoons of water, and the lamb and mix everything thoroughly. Brown the meat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly; it should be evenly coated with the spices. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to mix with the spices and reduce. Once the liquid is almost completely absorbed, remove the lid. Stir and turn the meat continuously with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and tomatoes and mix everything thoroughly. Pour in the broth and simmer the meat, covered, for about 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the white turnips. Season to taste, add more salt if desired, and let stand for a few more minutes, then serve. These small turnips are available in Turkish grocery stores; they are also called “shalgam” in Turkish.