Shaljam Chicken or Chicken and turnip curry is usually cooked in winter as turnip is a common winter vegetable. Turnips are very cheap and are found all over Pakistan. This Chicken with shaljam (Turnip) recipe is a Pakistani classic dish that is very popular all over Pakistan, a very tasty and easy recipe. We Pakistanis also like to eat shljam gosht means turnip with mutton or beef. The recipe usually involves boiling and mashing shaljam separately before adding them to chicken or meat. I once cooked turnip meat curry like aalo gohst in which turnip was cut into pieces without mashing and I felt like it had a slight odor in it. If you also experience this type of turnip odor problem, try this method. Mashing turnips really helps in absorbing the flavors of meat, onions, tomatoes and spices. This shaljam chicken curry is really a great recipe, which will make you lick your fingers. This turnip and meat curry served pretty well with both roti and plain white basmati rice.
In a pot add shaljam along with water, boil it well for 15-20 minutes. Also add salt in it during boiling.
Strain and mash the turnips a bit, then keep aside.
In the other pot add cooking oil, add chopped onion in it. Fry on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.
Then add ginger garlic paste and fry till slightly golden shade.
Then add green chilies and fry it as well.
Add chicken in it and cook till it changes its color to white.
Now turn the flame to low, add spices like garam masala powder, salt, cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and combine everything well.
Fry for another 6-7 minutes on medium flame.
Add tomato puree in the chicken and fry it for another 6-7 minutes. The secret behind amazing taste of shaljam gosht is in its frying. As much you will fry and cook the masala as much taste you will get.
Add the boiled turnips in the chicken, fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Now add a glass of water in the masala, give a stir, cover the pot and cook shaljam chicken till the water dries. This will take about 25-30 minutes. Cook it on high flame.
When the oil separates turn off the flame and shaljam chicken is ready.
______ Note: For preparing shaljam gosht with mutton or beef follow the same recipe but cook the meat first till it gets completely tender. Then add boiled shaljam in it.
