These delicious pickled vegetables are known as torshi (turshi or ترشی) throughout the Middle East. Various vegetables, including cauliflower, carrots, celery, and cucumbers, are pickled in a vinegar-brine solution infused with curry powder. Serve Torshi with almost any Middle Eastern meal, including Beef Kofta Kebab or Bamya!
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Well, I've finally reached my 400th post; can you believe it?! 🥳 I decided to go back to my roots and post an Assyrian recipe, and what better than my mom's torshi recipe?
Most Assyrian households serve a bowl of fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro, and parsley) and a bowl loaded with pickled vegetables or torshi with every meal except breakfast. As a matter of fact, if you don't serve them to your guests, you might get the evil eye! 👀
My mom was known for many dishes, including her dolma (stuffed cabbage rolls) and kileche. Her torshi recipe was exceptional! We pronounce it "tursheyeh" in Assyrian. Mom stored the torshi in the fridge in large plastic sherbet buckets. Smaller batches were stored in plastic Parkay tubs, which were also used to store homemade yogurt. You never knew what to expect when you lifted the plastic containers' lids. 😂 Can anyone else relate?
Although I shared her torshi recipe in my Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes cookbook, I suspect she didn't give me her exact torshi recipe. She was known for holding back a few ingredients every now and then, and I've been actually accused of doing the same, but it's all lies!
I'm convinced she used a mixture of vinegar, water, and salt in her recipe. However, the torshi recipe she gave me only called for apple cider vinegar. Since then, I've learned a lot more about pickling and prefer using a mixture of vinegar, water, and salt, which is the method I'll be using in this torshi recipe.
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🔖 Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh Vegetables: You can stick with cauliflower, celery, and carrots, or add green beans, pearl onions, bell peppers, eggplant, cabbage, turnips, and green tomatoes.
- Pickled Vegetables: When I made this recipe, I only had dill pickles, but usually I like to add green olives and pepperoncinis too. You can also add pre-pickled Armenian or Persian cucumbers (found in most Middle Eastern markets). Pickled okra would be great too!
- Vinegar: I like to use apple cider vinegar in my Torshi mix. I suppose you can substitute white distilled vinegar, but it's a little harsher.
- Aromatics: I like to add garlic cloves, Italian parsley, and hot peppers. While making this recipe, I realized that the Serranos weren't as spicy as I had hoped, so I added some dried Arbol chiles too.
- Seasoning and Spices: Mom never added pickling spices such as peppercorns and coriander seeds to her torshi recipe, and I don't either. All you need is sea salt and good quality curry powder (it comes in mild and spicy; guess which one I use? I also added a bit of sugar to balance things out. Sometimes turmeric is also added.
🥒 How to Make Assyrian Torshi
Step 1: Add vinegar, water, curry, salt, and sugar to a medium-sized pot. Add sliced Serranos, Italian parsley, and slivered garlic. Stir the pickling solution and set aside until needed.
Step 2: Meanwhile, split the cauliflower into florets, then peel and slice the carrots and celery. Add the veggies to the pickling solution. Bring the solution to a simmer, then turn the heat off and allow the vegetables and brine to come to room temperature.
Pro Tip: Check the vegetables while they're cooling to make sure they don't get too soft. If you prefer them on the crunchy side, you may wish to remove them from the hot brine sooner.
Step 3: Slice dill pickles in half or quarters and add to your pickling container with any other pre-pickled ingredients (I added pickled Jerusalem artichokes).
Pro Tip: Mom used to slice the pickles into smaller portions, and now I'm regretting the decision not to do the same. 😬
Step 4: When the vinegar mixture is cool enough to handle, transfer the vegetables into the pickling container using a slotted spoon. Carefully pour the pickling solution over the vegetables, wipe the rim, and tighten the lid. Allow the flavors to develop for a few days before digging in!
Pro Tip: Store the torshi jar in the refrigerator or divide it into smaller jars if there isn't enough room for a large container in the fridge. If you plan to store the smaller jars in the pantry, process them in boiling water first to seal the jars.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The word torshi (ترشی) is a Farsi word that can be translated to pickle, sour, or acidity. This same word is used throughout the Middle East to refer to a mixture of vegetables, usually pickled in vinegar, salty brine, garlic, herbs, and curry powder.
In most Middle Eastern cultures, torshi is enjoyed as a side to most meals, including fasolia and other stews. They are also added to shawarma sandwiches, sabich sandwiches, and falafel sandwiches. 
Torshi can last 6 months or even longer as long as they are refrigerated and there are no cross-contamination issues. If you would like to store them longer, process them in boiling water first so that the jars are airtight.
A torshi mix can include any of the following vegetables:
• cauliflower
• cucumbers
• carrots
• cabbage
• celery
• peppers
• green olives
• onions
• turnips
• sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- I recommend using a one-gallon jar or large pots to mix everything in first. You can then divide the torshi into smaller jars.
- If the brining solution isn't enough to submerge the vegetables, you can top off the jars with more vinegar.
🍆 More Pickle Recipes
If you enjoy this torshi recipe, check out these other pickle recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Method
- Add vinegar, water, curry, salt, and sugar to a medium-sized pot. Add sliced Serranos, Italian parsley, and slivered garlic. Stir the pickling solution and set aside until needed.
- Meanwhile, split the cauliflower into florets then peel and slice the carrots and celery. Add the veggies to the pickling solution. Bring the solution to a simmer, then turn the heat off and allow the vegetables and brine to come to room temperature.
- Next, slice dill pickles in half or quarters and add to your pickling container with any other pre-pickled ingredients (I added pickled Jerusalem artichokes).
- When the vinegar mixture is cool enough to handle, transfer the vegetables into the pickling container using a slotted spoon. Carefully pour the pickling solution over the vegetables, wipe the rim, and tighten the lid. Allow the flavors to develop for a few days before digging in!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Check the vegetables while they're cooling to make sure they don't get too soft. If you prefer them on the crunchy side, you may wish to remove them from the hot brine sooner.
- Store the torshi jar in the refrigerator or divide into smaller jars if there isn't enough room for a large container in the fridge. If you plan to store the smaller jars in the pantry, process them in boiling water first to seal the jars.
- I recommend using a one-gallon jar to mix everything in first. You can then divide the torshi into smaller jars.
- If the brining solution isn't enough to submerge the vegetables, you can top off the jars with more vinegar.
Kelly Methey says
So good!!! All of your pickled and marinated veggies recipes are great! I love them and they are pretty easy to make too. Thanks Hilda!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly! I know you are a pickle lover, just like me!
Marline says
excellent recipe!!
Marline says
hilda, this recipe is perfect thank you! I usually do mine without a recipe like Mom used to but knowing the measurements really does help a lot and the final result is just way better so thank you very much!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Marline. My mom was the same way. They didn't have cookbooks back then; everything was cataloged in their amazing brains! I'm happy to hear the recipe went well for you, and as always, thanks for taking the time to leave a review!