Curried Sweet and Sour Turnips

Yesterday I came across this article on CNN about this girl who was found after 23 years.  As a baby of just three weeks she was kidnapped and now, 23 years later, she has been reunited with her family.  What joy!  It is so nice to hear these stories of hope.  The media is usually stuck on the negatives all around and rarely do you get good news.  I am sure this story must have given hope to so many parents who have been separated from their children.  The pain they go through might be slightly better when news about such reunions is heard.  

I remember as a 10 year-old, every evening I had to read the headlines of the newspaper for my great-grand-father.  I would read the headlines and then based on the headlines he would tell me if he wanted me to read the rest of the article for him.  He was over 90 years old with a very sharp mind.  We all called him “gol papa” which meant “round daddy”.  His eyes were failing him, so it was my job to go to him and read the papers.  I remember at that time it was not a thing I enjoyed doing – spending 30 minutes of my play time to read the newspaper to an old man – but now it is a memory I will always cherish.  Those were special moments I spent with gol pappa. He was always looking to hear about something good happening in the world.  So actually the parts I had to read to him were very limited – there rarely was something positive in the papers.  I wish the news was used more to spread the good things happening around – news that would give our youth today hope, jump start us into doing good for others and acknowledge that we are still living in a beautiful world. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 large turnips

1 red onion

2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoon sesame seeds

50 grams peanuts

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

4 red chillies

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

4 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

3 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 cup tamarind water

1 tablespoon grated jaggery

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Roast and grind 2 teaspoons each of the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds and the peanuts.  Keep aside.    
2. Wash turnips and scrape the skin off.  Cut into quarters.  Fry pieces in hot oil and remove. 
3. In the same oil fry the crushed garlic, cumin seeds, red chillies and curry leaves till brown. .   
4. Add ground masala, chilli powder, turmeric and ginger garlic paste.  Add salt.  
5. Fry well and add the tamarind water with one more cup of water.  
6. Then add the fried turnip and simmer on a slow fire till the oil floats to the top. 
7. Stir in the jaggery and cook for another 5 minutes.  
8. Serve with rice or chappatis.  

P.S.  To get tamarind water, soak about 30 grams of tamarind in hot water.  Remove the pulp.