Shalgam (Middle Eastern Turnip Stew)
Delicious, sweet, and sour turnip stew, with tender cubed lamb.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 591kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds lamb or beef (cut into 2"-3" portions)
- 4 cups peeled and roughly chopped turnips (approximately 1 ¼ pounds)
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounce canned tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1 small black lime)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 tablespoon date molasses
Instructions
- Cut lamb into 2" to 3" pieces and add to a small pot. Add 4 cups of water, cover, and simmer the meat for 30 minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, wash and peel the turnips. Trim the ends off, then cut the turnips into fourths. Then slice each piece in half. The turnip pieces should be approximately 2" to 3" in size.
- When the lamb has simmered for 30 minutes, remove it from the pot, then strain the broth. Mix salt, tomato paste, and lemon slices (or lemon juice) into the broth while hot. Set aside until needed.
- Dice onion, and add to a Dutch oven, along with the oil. Sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add lamb and paprika. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned and the onions are caramelized.
- Add turnips and drizzle with date syrup. Stir to coat the turnips with the syrup. Cook for a few minutes.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pot, but not directly on the syrup-covered turnips. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes until the turnips are fork-tender. Pour the tomato-broth into the pot and stir gently. Cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve over white rice.
Notes
- Since this Turnip Stew is sweet and sour, I find that it begs for a spicy kick. I've left the chilis as an optional ingredient, but I would definitely add a few if you can tolerate spicy food. You may wish to add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper instead.
- If you want to cut down on calories, you can toss the lamb broth and use 4 cups of fresh water instead. However, think twice because there's a lot of flavor in the broth!
- The amount of date syrup and lemon juice can be adjusted based on your preference. Start with the suggested amounts of date syrup and lemon juice and increase either to make the Turnip Stew more sweet or sour.
- For a lower-carb option ditch the rice and serve this stew by itself and just call it Turnip Soup.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 591kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g