By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: March 12, 2020
Purple and white turnips are such a beautiful vegetable, hardy enough to keep growing in the cooler seasons. They shrink a little bit when you cook them, and their flavor is mild and wonderful. Using the greens in addition to the round turnip roots makes them even more economical, and the greens taste great as well. In this recipe, cubed turnips lusciously replace cubed paneer (cheese), in a vegan, tomato based curry sauce alongside peas.
If you prefer using garlic and onions, you can add them to the dish just before the ginger and chilies, and stir them into the spice mixture. I leave them out because of how they increase the pitta in my body’s constitution, which I’ve been working to keep balanced for many years.
Ingredients
2 large purple turnips
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbs. finely diced ginger
1 finely diced green chili, with or without seeds
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chili powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 cups of tomato sauce or puree fresh tomatoes
1 Tbs. Kitchen King masala spice mix (homemade or store bought)
2 cups water
1 cup peas
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
Wash the turnips well with clean water. Trim off both ends and chop them into 1 inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, stirring until they begin to splutter.
Add ginger and green chili, and cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Add salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder, tomato sauce or puree fresh tomatoes, Kitchen King spice mix, and water, stirring constantly.
Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes (about 5) before adding the chopped turnips to the simmering sauce. Stir the turnips into the sauce until evenly coated.
Cover the pan and let the turnips simmer for a few minutes (about 10) before adding the peas. Stir well until combined thoroughly.
Add the chopped cilantro leaves, stir well. Cover the pan again and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes before stirring again.
When the turnips are tender but not mushy, remove the pan from the heat and serve the curried vegetables with rice and/or flat bread.
Scooping this food up in a small piece of roti or pita bread, with or without rice, can be so satisfying. In my own personal experience, I’ve found that using bread to grab food with clean hands allows for more perception of my own body’s true needs, and I think of utensils as an often unneeded way of distancing myself from my food. I also use less plastic cutlery, and cutting down on single use plastics for eating also makes me feel better about the way I treat the environment.
As you explore Indian cooking, the richness of a multitude of spices gives vegetables new life, and you’ll begin to appreciate how abundant, healthy, and filling vegan eating can be.
Elizabeth Herman writes, offers writing support to clients, teaches, and volunteers for a better world. She has a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition and Literature. Find her on Facebook or Twitter.
