Shaljam Gosht, also known as turnip and meat curry, is one of those classic Pakistani recipes that you have to try if you haven’t already. For this recipe, we boil fresh turnips until tender, mash them, and then cook them with the meat curry masala. Turnip itself has a mild, naturally sweet flavor and a lovely soft texture. It’s a simple, comforting Pakistani and Indian curry that many of us grew up eating, especially when fresh turnips are in season.
What is Shaljam Gosht?
Shaljam Gosht is a traditional Pakistani curry made with turnips and meat. Shaljam, Shalgham or Shalgam are simply different spellings of the same word, which means turnip in English. In Punjab Pakistan, you may also hear people call this root vegetable Tippar. The word gosht, of course, refers to the meat used in the curry. While you can make this dish with different types of meat, this particular recipe uses mutton.
🍁 The Best Time To Make Shalgham Gosht
Turnips are naturally a fall and winter vegetable, which makes the colder months the perfect time to cook Shaljam Gosht. Fresh, seasonal turnips have a lovely natural sweetness and a soft texture that works beautifully in this curry. You can find turnips outside their season too, including frozen or cold-stored ones but they may not have the same sweetness and fresh flavor. Sometimes, stored turnips can also develop a slightly bitter taste. That’s one of the reasons we especially associate Shaljam Gosht with winter.
📝 Ingredients
🥘 How To Make Turnip & Meat Curry (Step-wise Photo Guide)
🍖 Meat Variation For This Recipe
You can make this Pakistani and Indian turnip curry with mutton, beef, or lamb. This recipe uses mutton, but you can follow the same basic method with beef or lamb as well. I wouldn’t recommend using chicken for this particular recipe because chicken cooks much faster than mutton, beef, or lamb, so the cooking times , ingredient quantities especially water ratio and method would need to change. Chicken Shaljam would need a separate recipe!
🍲 Two Ways to Make Shaljam Gosht
There are a couple of ways to make Shaljam Gosht. The first one is pretty straightforward – like you can follow the same method you would use for Alu Gosht and simply replace the potatoes with turnips. It works, but my family has always made Shaljam Gosht a little differently.
My grandmother always emphasised enough on this, that turnips and potatoes need to be cooked differently. Potatoes have a mild, earthy flavor, so they work well when cut into large pieces and cooked directly with the meat. Turnips (especially not fresh ones), however can taste slightly bitter when cooked this way and don’t absorb the curry flavors as well. That’s why I add mashed turnips to the curry.
👩🍳 Expert Tips & Notes
- Cook the mutton without oil first. Boil/cook the meat seperately. Add the oil only when you start frying the cooked meat. This way the curry gives you a richer taste and keeps it from feeling bland.
- Use fresh, seasonal turnips when possible. Fresh turnips have a naturally sweeter taste and better texture, which makes a noticeable difference.
- Don’t overcook the mashed turnips. Once you add them to the curry, a short simmer is enough. Overcooking can make the curry too thick and dull the fresh flavor of the turnips.
- Adjust the consistency at the end. Shaljam Gosht should have a thick, smooth curry rather than being watery. If it looks too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes until it reaches the consistency you prefer!
🆚 Stovetop vs. Pressure Cooker Method
There are two ways you can cook the meat for Shaljam Gosht: on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot/pressure cooker. The rest of the recipe stays the same but only the cooking time and amount of water change.
- For Instant Pot or pressure cooker: Add about 2½ cups of water to the meat along with the spices. What I like about pressure cooking is that it speeds up the process considerably, and the meat usually becomes tender in around 15–20 minutes, depending on the type and cut of meat.
- For the stovetop: You’ll need a little more water because the meat takes longer to cook and more water evaporates during cooking. Start with 2 cups of water, cover and cook for about 25 minutes. Then add another 2 cups of water and continue cooking for another 20–25 minutes, or until the meat is completely tender. From there, simply continue with the rest of the recipe as usual.
❓FAQ’s
Can I add whole turnips directly to the meat curry?
Yes absolutely! You can skip the boiling and mashing and add the turnips directly to the meat curry, just like you would when making Aloo Gosht. It really comes down to the texture you prefer.
Can I make Shaljam Gosht in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker?
You can use either an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker. I personally prefer pressure cooking for meat curries because it saves a lot of time. Mutton and beef take quite a while to become tender on the stovetop, while pressure cooking can significantly reduce the cooking time and make it much easier.
Why is Shaljam Gosht considered a winter recipe?
Fresh turnips come into season during fall and early winter, which is why we commonly enjoy this as a winter recipe. You can find turnips in stores throughout the year but I prefer using fresh seasonal ones because they have a naturally sweeter taste and better texture.
What can I serve with Shaljam Gosht?
Serve it with either rice or fresh roti, depending on what everyone at home prefers. My daughter is a rice lover so she happily eats curry with rice, while I personally prefer roti. Add some chutney and a simple vegetable side, and you have a really comforting meal.
Shaljam Gosht Recipe (Pakistani Turnip and Meat Curry)
6
servings15
minutes40
minutes325
kcal55
minutesTry this easy Shaljam Gosht, a Pakistani turnip and meat curry made with tender mutton, mashed turnips, and simple spices!
Ingredients
500 g meat, (beef, mutton or lamb)
350 g turnips (shaljam), peeled and mashed
1/2 cup oil
2.5 cups water (for pressure cooking), 4.5-5 cups water (for stovetop)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1.5 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp green chili, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 medium -sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1.5 tsp kasuri methi
1/4 cup whisked yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon, added at the end (optional)
- Garnish
Ginger, thinly sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Boil the turnips in salted water for 10–15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash well, and set aside.
- Add the meat, chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder to the pot. Add 2.5 cups of water and cook until the meat is tender.
- Pressure cooker/Instant Pot method: If using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, cook the meat for about 15–20 minutes, or until completely tender.
- Stovetop method: If cooking on the stovetop, cover and cook the meat with 2½ cups of water for about 20 minutes. Then check the meat and add another 2 cups of water. Cover and continue cooking for 15–20 minutes, or longer if needed, until the meat is completely tender.
- Once the meat is cooked, transfer it to a wide wok or pan for easier frying. If there is too much liquid, cook it over high heat for a few minutes to reduce it slightly. Don’t dry out the curry completely. Add the oil, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, and chopped green chilies and fry everything well until the masala becomes thick and nicely cooked.
- Add the yogurt, coriander powder, and roasted and crushed cumin seeds, then continue frying until the masala becomes thick, well combined and the oil starts to separate.
- Add the mashed turnips to the cooked meat masala and reduce the heat to medium. Add the garam masala powder and kasuri methi, then mix well until the turnips are evenly blended into the curry. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and let the Shaljam Gosht simmer for 3–5 minutes so turnips blend nicely with the meat curry and spices.
- Open the lid and, if you like, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the curry. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro, green chilies, and julienned ginger!
Notes
- I personally recommend boiling the turnips in salted water until they’re nice and tender, then mashing them before adding them to the curry. I find it tastes much better this way than adding whole pieces of turnip.
- For Instant Pot or pressure cooker: Add about 2½ cups of water to the meat along with the spices and curry base. Pressure cooking speeds up the process considerably, and the meat usually becomes tender in around 15–20 minutes, depending on the type and cut of meat.
- For the stovetop: You’ll need a little more water because the meat takes longer to cook and more water evaporates during cooking. Start with 2 cups of water, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes. Then add another 2 cups of water and continue cooking for another 20–25 minutes, or until the meat becomes tender. From there, simply continue with the rest of the recipe as usual.
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