The sliced turnips in this dish have a very delicate mouthfeel. The flavor profile is warm and nutty, great for autumn and winter.
Gather your ingredients!
Cut the turnips into disks about 1 cm thick.
Peel the turnip by lying the disks on their sides and cutting off the edges. I find this easier on the hands than using a peeler on a whole turnip.
Don’t skip this step–some turnips are sold with an inedible waxy coating.
Cut the onion into quarters, then into thin strips.
Before beginning to cook, measure out your dry spices and set them aside.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat on medium-high. Add a small fleck of vegetable to test the oil–when bubbles appear around it, it’s hot enough to use. Lay the discs of turnip down and cook them until they just barely begin to brown on one side. Flip and repeat.
Remove the browned turnip from the heat and set aside.
Add the sliced onions to the hot oil (you do not need to add more oil) and begin to sauté.
Once the onions are somewhat limp, add the dry spices and pour on about half a cup of water. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, about five minutes.
Add the turnips back in and stir.
Add enough water to submerge the turnips. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes.
Stir in the vegan yogurt. Be sure to use plain yogurt for this step–vanilla or fruity yogurt would not mesh well with these flavors.
Uncover the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the water has boiled off. The sauce should be thick, with a consistency close to creamy yogurt. The dish is done once the turnips become tender enough to break with a spoon.
Break a few cilantro leaves from their stems for garnish.
Serve warm, and enjoy!
