Turnip & Lamb Cake

This was turnip and lamb cake.

It was our latest dish from our favorite Jerusalem cookbook. Actually the name of the dish in the book, introduced as a popular Palestinian dish, was "turnip and veal cake" while the book suggested veal, lamb or beef. We chose lamb. The recipe called for 10 to 15 medium turnips (3 and 1/4pound/1.5kg total). My 8 turnips exceeded 1.5kg. Perhaps American turnips are larger than those from Palestine? Still frying all slices of 8 turnips took a quite long time. In a pot, start with a layer of the mixture of tomato, tamarind paste and chicken stock, which was covered with a layer of fried turnips, which was covered by a layer of the mixture of spiced lamb and rice. Then, a layer of fried turnips, and a layer of the lamb mixture again. The last was the mixture of tomato, tamarind paste and chicken stock, again. The dish looked like a cousin of moussaka or lasagna.

The result was much lighter and aromatic than any moussaka or lasagna that I had. Turnips were clean, sweet and delicate. Lamb and rice were lovely seasoned with spice mix called Baharat and fresh thymes, and absorbed fresh tomato and tamarind juice. All ingredients together created a dish that was totally new and unique but friendly. Another amazingly delicious dish from the book!