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Qorma, salan & curriesPunjabi recipes

Shaljam Gosht Recipe

شلجم گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

Punjabi winter salan of mutton and sweet turnips cooked until some of the turnip melts into the gravy, with a hint of gur to round it off.
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Illustration of Shaljam Gosht

Prep

20 min

Cook

1 hr 30 min

Total

1 hr 50 min

Serves

5

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Medium hot

Shaljam gosht, or gonglu gosht, is a Punjabi winter dish made when turnips are small, sweet and full of juice. The meat is cooked in an onion-tomato masala first, then the turnips go in and soften until a few pieces break down and thicken the gravy. A small piece of gur balances the turnip's slight bitterness, which is how many Punjabi families make it.

Ingredients

5 servings

For 5 servings

Measures

To finish

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot on medium heat and fry the onions until golden.

    ⏱ 8 min

  2. Add the mutton and ginger-garlic paste and fry on high heat until the meat changes colour and its water dries.

    ⏱ 8 min

  3. Add the tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Bhuno, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until the oil separates.

    ⏱ 8 min

  4. Add 2 cups of the hot water, cover and simmer on low heat until the mutton is about three-quarters tender.

    ⏱ 40 min

  5. Add the turnips, the gur and the remaining cup of water. Cover and cook on low heat until the turnips are very soft and a few have started to break.

    ⏱ 20 min

  6. Uncover, mash a few turnip pieces into the gravy and bhuno on medium heat until the gravy thickens and oil rises.

    ⏱ 5 min

  7. Add the garam masala, green chillies and ginger, cover for 3 minutes on the lowest heat, scatter the coriander and serve.

    ⏱ 3 min

Tips for the best result

  • Buy small, heavy turnips with smooth skin. Large ones can be woody and bitter.
  • Turnips release water as they cook, so do not add more until you have seen how much they give.

Common mistakes

  • Adding turnips with the raw meat. They turn to mush and the gravy goes watery.
  • Leaving out the final bhunai. Without it the gravy stays thin and the turnip flavour is flat.

How to serve

Serve with hot roti or plain rice and a kachumar salad.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
675kcal
Protein
28g
Fat
55g
Carbs
19g
Fibre
5g
Sodium
1130mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 390

Whole dish ≈ Rs 1,960 · 63% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Shaljam Gosht: questions people ask

Why do people add gur or sugar to shaljam gosht?

Turnips have a slightly bitter, peppery edge. A small amount of gur rounds it out without making the dish sweet; leave it out if your turnips are very sweet already.

Can I make shaljam gosht in a pressure cooker?

Yes. Pressure-cook the meat with 1.5 cups of water for 15 minutes after the whistle, then add the turnips and cook them uncovered, as they turn to mush under pressure.

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Read this recipe in Urdu: شلجم گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/shaljam-gosht · Handi, DanixSoft