I do not like turnips. I hardly buy this vegetable from the market. It is okay if turnip is added to a mixed veg curry. Otherwise, I do not prefer a turnip vegetable-based curry. But this year, I am growing this vegetable in our own kitchen garden. So I decided to make every possible type of dishes with turnip in our kitchen. I do not want to make mixed veg and have it every day. So I definitely need to cook different types of turnip curry (shalgam sabzi).
Now you may ask that why I am growing turnip (shalgam in English) if I do not like it. Actually, I bought combo seeds from an online store that includes French beans, beetroot, radish, turnip, spinach and coriander seeds. It was the best combination of vegetable seeds available in the store. All of those are good quality branded seeds and the price was reasonable. So I bought those.
I do not love to eat this vegetable because I always found it bitter in taste and slightly fibrous. I never found it tasty. But still, it is slightly expensive as compared to any other seasonal vegetable just because some people know this vegetable is nutritious.
Now when I started growing it in our kitchen garden. I started harvesting very young ones which is better in taste and not fibrous. I normally plant 2-3 seedlings in every grow bag. Harvest only one plant at its maturity from each grow bag. But I harvest 2 weeks early all other turnip vegetables in the same grow bag. This way I get a continuous supply of turnip (shalgam in English).
Now if you are curious to know how do I grow those vegetables in our kitchen garden. In case if you are expecting any expert advice regarding gardening then I would say that I do not know anything about gardening. I just try to provide those plants with enough compost fertilizer and use neem cake to protect the soil pest free. As I grow vegetables in pots/bags, so I apply a little amount of chemical fertilizer. I do not bother which plant prefer which type of chemical fertilizer. I use balanced chemical fertilizer prepared with DAP, MOP, SSP, micronutrients, Mag Sul etc. I can buy such mixed fertilizer from the local nursery/shop. You can also find such type of fertilizer or you can pit at it by mixing all those basic fertilizers.
You can also totally rely on compost fertilizer if you use bigger size pots/bags/containers for growing plants. Otherwise, nowadays I prefer to use a little amount of chemical fertilizers. Do not forget to use fungicides and insecticides regularly to keep your plants free from any pest. I use homemade fungicides and pesticides for regular usage. If I found any plant is affected by fungus or insects then I prefer to use market bought organic fungicides (Trichoderma Viride, Thunders etc), insecticides (kaka, mit end, Trap etc). I do not act like an expert, I follow the same treatment for every plant. I make my gardening joyful and stress-free.
There are various types of shalgam (turnip in English) curries available across the country. It is very popular in Northern Indian states, mainly in Punjab and its neighboring areas. But I loved this type of special shalgam curry. It is really very delicious and enjoyable with roti as well as rice too.
Shalgam curry recipe
- 3 medium size turnips, cut into small cubes
- 1 medium size potato, cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoons turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 teaspoons garama masala powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ cups water
- 1.5 tablespoons any refined oil
- Salt to taste
- Heat refined oil in a cooking pot and add ginger paste
- Add turnip cubes, stir and cover it with a lid and cook it for next 5 minutes over medium flame
- Now add potatoes and stir for next 2-3 minutes, sprinkle salt too
- Add all spices (red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder), stir to mix and cook for next 2-3 minutes
- Now pour water, stir and cook for another 5 minutes (cover with a lid while cooking)
- When water is almost dried up then add sugar and garam masala too, stir to mix
- Wait for another 2 minutes and then switch off fire
- Serve it with roti / chapati / paratha etc
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