We have had a bit of a thing for turnips this year, and recently we found the most gorgeous ones at the Organic stall in the Adelaide Central Market. It seems a crime to peel them, but we did, and made this gorgeous curry that comes from Kashmir.

The turnips are cooked with spice powders until tender, then coated in a yoghurt sauce. The central spice is fennel and it is a great match to the creamy turnips.

Similar dishes include Turnip with Spices, Turnip Salad with Capers, Turnips with Quince Molasses, Turnips with Mustard Greens in a Creamy Sauce, and Turnip Soup with Coriander-Walnut Paste.

Browse all of our Turnip recipes and all of our Kashmir dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Late Winter recipes.

Spicy Turnips in Yoghurt | Kashmiri Shalgum Curry

ingredients

250g turnips, peeled and cut into large cubes

1 onion, chopped finely

2 Tbspn ghee or mustard oil

1 tspn coriander powder

1 tspn fennel seed powder

0.5 tspn Indian red chilli powder

0.5 tspn turmeric powder

0.5 cup Indian (Desi) yoghurt

0.5 tspn chickpea flour (besan)

4 – 5 green chillies, slit without cutting through the stem end, or to taste

1 tspn ginger-garlic paste

0.5 whole fennel seeds

sea salt to taste

method

Heat the oil in a kadhai or heavy pan and fry the onions and turnips together until the onions are brown in colour.

Add the coriander powder, fennel seed powder, red chilli powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste, and sea salt to taste. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup water, cover, and simmer on a low heat until the turnips are tender.

Meanwhile, beat the yoghurt until smooth with chickpea flour. Add to the turnips with the green chillies, stir well, and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring gently.

Place on a serving dish, then heat 0.5 tspn ghee or mustard oil in a tadka pan or small pan. Add the whole fennel seeds and allow to turn golden brown, but do not burn the seeds. Pur the oil and seeds over the turnips.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapatis.

Enjoy!

recipe notes and alternatives

Add a wadi with the water, if desired.