Recipe: Curried Meat and Turnips

Narrated Abu Musa:

Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) said, “Many amongst men reached (the level of) perfection but none amongst the women reached this level except Asia, Pharaoh’s wife, and Mary, the daughter of `Imran. And no doubt, the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. a meat and bread dish) to other meals.”

Technically, any meat dish (with or without an accompanying vegetable) that is stewed in a broth then eaten with a bread is considered Thareed (Tharid). There are so many different ways to cook Thareed. With pumpkin, with potatoes, with turnips, with okras… the possibilities are endless. The spices can also be varied to ensure a different flavor with different vegetables. The technique remains the same, the ingredients can change.

But why is Thareed given such a high status in Islam as a Prophetic dish? There are many reasons why Thareed ranks above all other dishes.

1. Meat is considered a luxury. The taste and satisfaction derived from meat in incomparable to any other food. It is filling, nutritious and highly sought-after.
2. Stews/broth that combine both meat and bones, and is cooked over fire/heat for several hours, breaks down the nutrients and make it easily absorbable and digestible.
3. Meat dishes are a sunnah for Aqiqah and Walima — childbirth and weddings are a time of celebration and feeding of others as an act of charity – and meat (Lamb/Goat) is the preferred choice for these occasions. Most parts of the world do not eat beef as their primary meat. Goats, lambs, and other small animals are favored. Beef is more of a western norm.

As a Syrian who’s adopted Pakistani cuisine into my kitchen, this was one of the recipes that was passed down to me from my mother-in-law and is one of my husband’s favorite dishes.

Due to my food allergies, this is not a dish that I can actually eat, but I do cook it for my family and friends. Recently, one of my dearest friends tried it and insisted that I add it to my website, so… here it is!

Curried Meat and Turnips

Aiman Attar Narrated Abu Musa: Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) said, “Many amongst men reached (the level of) perfection but none amongst the women reached this level except Asia, Pharaoh’s wife, and Mary, the… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 2 Hours 2 Hours

Rating: 4.0/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

• • 1lb meat pieces with bones (lamb, chicken, goat, veal or beef)
• • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• • 2 tomatoes (diced)
• • 3 small turnips (peeled and sliced into half moon). You can substitute potatoes or pumpkin in you don’t want turnips.
• • Garlic (3-5 cloves shredded or crushed)
• • Garlic (1 inch shredded)
• • 3/4 teaspoon leveled of each of the following spices
• Turmeric
• Garam Masala (a pre-ground mixture of spices from Indian/Pakistani grocers)
• Salt
• Chili powder (optional)
• • 1 level tablespoon of ground coriander seeds
• • 1-2 level tablespoons cooking oil, or preferably ghee
• • 2 cups of water
• • 1-2 Green chili
• • ¼ cup of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

Cooking meat requires a slow, long process of stewing in order to break down the nutrients and fibers to make it easily digestible. But this hearty curry is the ideal meal on a cold fall/winter evening after a long days work.

1. Rinse meat with bones. Set aside.
2. Add oil/ghee to a medium sized pot on medium/high heat.
3. Add onions and sauté until soft and golden.
4. Add meat and sauté with the onions until meat has been browned on all sides (5-7 minutes).
5. Add diced tomatoes, shredded ginger/garlic, turmeric, ground coriander, chili, salt and garam masala. Lower heat to low/medium and cook (covered) until tomatoes are completely liquified. Stir often so it does not stick to your pot.
6. Add 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil.
7. Let the meat cook over low-medium heat (depending on the intensity of your stove) for about 90 minutes. Check to see when meat is soft and falls apart easily.
8. Once meat is soft, add the sliced turnips. Add ½ cup of water if the .curry level does not fully immerse the turnips. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes. Add green chili at this stage if you want to make it spicier.
9. Once turnips are soft (but not mush), turn off stove and garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
10. Serve with home-made roti or naan.