“What is it?” my younger son asked me, looking at the plate I placed in front of him. “Lefet” I answered. “Lefet?” he repeated after me with a puzzled look. “Turnip” I said, “Turnip in Hebrew is Lefet”. Even though he speaks Hebrew fluently and when needed he can read and write too, there are still words that I have to translate for him.
“I’ve never eaten turnips” “Yes you have” was my reply “you’ve actually had turnips many times”, “really? I don’t remember” “In nearly every soup I use turnips, also when I make grilled vegetables”. By then, he had stopped listening to me, it happens with teenagers, this time from a different reason. He was too busy finishing the dish on his plate. “Very tasty” he said “is there more?”
Ingredients
8 medium size young turnips
1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
½ cup parsley chopped
½ cup cilantro chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
5 prunes pitted and diced
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cinnamon ground
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Sauce
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves crushed
½ cup tamarind syrup
½ cup madeira wine
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cinnamon ground
5 red hot pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Water
Cut a slice of ½ inch from the base and the top of the turnip. Peel it and wash. With a parisienne spoon or regular spoon carefully scoop out the inside, leaving a ½ inch wall.
Mix all filling ingredients. Stuff each turnip with a generous amount of filling and press it in.
Heat a little oil in a deep pan or pot that can accommodate the turnips in one layer densely. Fry the onion to golden. Add the garlic and fry lightly. Add the tamarind syrup, wine and spices, mix and bring to boil. Add the turnips in one layer. If there is any room left add a potato so turnips won’t fall during cooking. Add water to cover the turnips. Lower heat and cook for 1 ½ hours.
