Delicious kurma made in the stove-top pressure cooker with the green turnips and other veggies with freshly ground coconut paste! Check out my turnip kurma recipe with detailed step-wise pictures.
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In restaurants, especially in Tamil Nadu, you can see chapati and parotta served with kurma. But kurma pairs well with idli, dosa, poori, chapati, naan, and parotta. You can also pair it with biryani or pulao, or brinji rice. I always pair this green turnip kurma with my coconut milk pulao / thengai paal sadam. Don’t forget to check out my coconut milk pulao platter too.
Turnips in kurma
Green turnips/turnip greens in kurma sound interesting, right? I got this idea of including green turnips in kurma and biryani from Chef Damu’s TV cooking show. He mentioned that adding green turnips enhances the flavor. I decided to give it a try and duly did. I was surprised by the flavor. More than for kootu, I prefer my turnips in kurma or biryani these days! If you are getting acquired to the flavor of green turnips, do try this kurma. I assure you that you will fall in love with this veggie.
PS – This vegetable is popularly known as kohlrabi, and it’s the green variety, not the pink one. We call it noolkol or knol khol in Tamil.
Along with green turnips, I did use other veggies like carrots and potatoes. You can make this kurma only with turnips or with a combination of veggies. Like any other Tamil Nadu-style kurma, we prepare freshly ground coconut-spice paste, forming the gravy base.
This noolkol (Tamil word for turnip) kurma is not the first kurma recipe on my blog. I have different versions, and each is unique. For this kurma, I usually avoid tomatoes and red chilies or red chili powder. I prefer to retain the green hue. It is more like green kurma. :-)
Please check my other kurma recipes below, and now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this green turnip kurma or knol khol kurma.
Dietary Specifications
This turnip kurma is a vegan and a gluten-free dish. I have included cashews but you can use pottukadalai/roasted gram and keep it nut-free. You can serve this kurma with idli, dosa, poori, parotta, naan, chapati, pulao and biryanis.
How to make turnip kurma
- Grind everything given under “to grind” (Ingredients list in the recipe card below) into smooth paste by adding ½ cup of water.
- Heat the pressure cooker or pressure pan and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute them for a couple of minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Now add the ground masala.
- Add ½ cup water and cook till the raw smell goes off. Make sure to your stir regularly, and if needed, sprinkle some water. The ground paste tends to stick to the pan if unattended. Next, add the salt and cook for a minute.
- Add the remaining water and the veggies.
- Mix well. Close the pressure cooker and cook for up to 2 whistles. Let the pressure subside naturally.
- Open the pressure cooker, mix well. Garnish it with more cilantro or mint (optional) and serve hot with roti or pulao.
Recipe Notes
- As mentioned in the post, you can make this kurma only with turnips or with a combination of vegetables.
- Adjust the spices and salt according to your preference.
- Instead of cashews, you can use roasted gram or pottukadalai.
- Instant Pot Version: If using IP, saute the onion and the ground paste in saute mode and add the veggies and water. Then pressure cook at high-pressure manual mode for 4 to 5 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
Explore other kurma recipes
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📖 Recipe
Turnip Kurma | Noolkol Kurma | Knol Khol Kurma
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp= 5ml;
To grind
- ½ cup Coconut
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 5 mint leaves optional
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 3 small onion/ shallots / chinna vengayam
- 3 green chilies or to taste
- 1 tbsp cashew nuts
- 2 cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1- inch cinnamon piece
Instructions
- Grind everything given under grinding into smooth paste by adding ½ cup of water.
- Heat the pressure cooker or pressure pan and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute them for a couple of minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Now add the ground masala.
- Add ½ cup water and cook till the raw smell goes off. Make sure to your stir regularly, and if needed, sprinkle some water. The ground paste tends to stick to the pan if unattended. Next, add the salt and cook for a minute.
- Add the remaining water and the veggies.
- Mix well. Close the pressure cooker and cook for up to 2 whistles. Let the pressure subside naturally.
- Open the pressure cooker, mix well. Garnish it with more cilantro and serve hot with roti or pulao.
Notes
- As mentioned in the post, you can make this kurma only with turnips or with a combination of vegetables.
- Adjust the spices and salt according to your preference.
- Instead of cashews, you can use roasted gram or pottukadalai.
- Instant Pot Version: If using IP, saute the onion and the ground paste in saute mode and add the veggies and water. Then pressure cook at high-pressure manual mode for 4 to 5 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2014. Updated the recipe with recipe cards, new step-wise pictures and Instant Pot recipe details.
I tried this recipe, my kids love it so much.
One of the best way to add turnip in our regular diet. Thank you very much vidhya
Thanks so much.
I read about turnip qurma in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Thanks for the recipe.
Chris
Oh wow. I didn’t know the reference. I will check out the novel. Thanks :-)
To grind is it corriander seeds or is it really the cilantro leaves ?
Hi Priya, it is the cilantro leaves. I usually grind them for this kurma. I have updated the post too. Thanks for checking back.
Thanks Vidhya, for the update:)
Np.. Thanks for checking back. :-)
Looks Delicious <3 Am sure it tasted awesome too :)
Thanks :-) yup
Have you forgotten tomatoes in the recipe Vidhya?Or was it intentional?
It’s intentional pa. When I make white/green kurma, I don’t add tomatoes.
Same here never added turnip in kuruma, Will try soon… How come I missed your post :(
Ha ha thats happens yaar.. WP reader sometimes doesn’t load properly for me in phone
Never added turnip in kurma:-) great thought Sri
Thanks Vidya. Credit goes to Chef Damu. He added turnips to kuruma and biriyani in of his shows.