Turshi - Slightly Sweet Pickled Vegetables

9/9/2011

Turshi is a staple in Chaldean households. Many always have it on the counter ready for eating with rice and stew or in sandwiches. As with all dishes, there are different versions depending on the cook. This turshi has a slight sweetness to it due to the addition of the apple juice. If you like yours spicy, you can add more jalapenos, other hot peppers, or more curry.

Vegetables
4 - 5 pounds various vegetables cut up (typical ones used are cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, and turnips)
2 Jalapenos with slits cut in the bottom
2 whole garlic cloves peeled

Liquid Mixture
3 Cups of water
3 Cups of Apple Juice
3 Cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Salt
2 to 3 Tablespoons Curry(depending on your taste or the spiciness of your curry)
1/2 Teaspoon Egg Yellow Powder/Yellow coloring

Instructions

Cut up all of the vegetables except jalapeno peppers and garlic
Mix all the vegetables and garlic and jalapenos in a large bowl
Stuff in a one gallon jar
Put the water, apple juice, and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Add the Salt, Curry, and yellow powder and stir well.
Pour the liquid mixture over the vegetables in the jar. If you want your turshi ready quicker you can boil the liquid but make sure to use a glass jar if you do.
If your liquid is not enough the cover the vegetables, make more using the proportions listed above.
Close the jar tightly.
Leave the jar at room temperature. It should be ready in about 3 - 5 days. You can leave it out at room temperature for a couple of weeks or move to the fridge so it will stay fresh longer.

Click here for our Spicy and Sour turshi recipe

28 Comments

Angela

9/18/2011 02:50:07 am

I just want to say thank you so much for these recipes! I am Chaldean myself, but unfortunately the older women in my family never seemed to have the time or patience to actually teach me their recipes. I am so excited that I can now start making authentic Chaldean meals myself...please keep the recipes coming and thank you again!!!

Loui

12/1/2011 07:10:00 am

I'm Chaldean & very impressed with the dishes .I have
Made several of them and there great !
Thank you for posting them.

Najla

12/2/2011 06:05:32 am

Thank u! Thank u! Thank u!

wassan

1/16/2012 08:29:12 am

thank you so much

Mariya

5/8/2012 06:29:40 am

Hello. I am not Chaldean but i love the food. My question is are you supposed to close the jar after everything is in or leave it open for the duration of the 3-5 days?
Thank You

mideastchef.com

6/5/2012 01:56:36 am

You should close the jar.

cindy

7/2/2013 01:09:17 am

you close the lid of the jar very tightly.

Estrella Multine

7/28/2012 01:19:04 pm

I also am not Chaldean but I'M OBSESSED with the cuisine! I have been begging my friends for recipes from their families for years! I love your recipes, so simple to follow and they turn out exactly as they should. If you ever get a chance I'd love to know the recipe for pacha and koopa hamouth (sp?)

Thank you so much for your time and effort sharing these old world gems!

Darren

3/13/2013 01:02:56 am

Wonderful!

Lela Meksayo

3/20/2013 11:40:43 am

I am sooo happy I found this website. My dad is Chaldean and we are originally from Michigan. I grew up around the area where his family lived and of course all of the stores to shop in, the bakeries, the coffee shops, the restaurants. His family cooked, but since we no longer live around any of them, we never get the *authentic* Chaldean food. Here in TN there are very few middle eastern places to shop or eat, and they are not Chaldean..usually Greek, Egytian etc. so as you know there is a difference in the taste and the products sold in the stores. We can't even find Chaldean pita bread anywhere here, they are all small and factory produced it seems. I can't wait to try these vegetables, they were always a favorite of mine, along with grape leaves, potato chops (which my mo mom learned to make well), chicken and potato curry...the list goes on..thank you for the recipes. :)

Cindy

10/10/2013 03:59:10 am

Hi Lela,

I am like you. I have a Chaldean father, but a British/German mother. I would never want to leave Detroit. Just for the fact that it is part of your heritage. I am trying to learn some recipes and hope I can learn something. Any ways, take care.

11/20/2013 09:09:57 am

Lela,

What is your other half, may I ask you please? You are like me, except I don't know about your other half to really know. I was wondering if you were like me.

3/20/2013 11:41:44 am

One more question..when I had these growing up they were pretty tart and sour which I like..I don't remember them being really sweet..is there something extra I need to add to get that flavor I remember?

gloria zebari

7/29/2013 12:14:17 pm

Just leave out the apple juice; we never used that.

jessica iromi

4/3/2013 10:37:35 pm

Im also from michigan and moved to tennesse there is nothing here its depressing my husband is chaldean im not but our kids and us all love the food him more so lol i mastered the dolma but not lots of others so thank you this has all really helped soo much shukran

Tanya

5/15/2013 07:30:11 am

Hi
Thank you for the beautiful pictures and recipes. The tourshi will be my first try then ras asfool

I wanted to ask is the egg yellow powder called that at the Arabic spice store?

Yvonne

6/18/2013 09:32:15 pm

I am also from MI . My daughter is in love with a Chaldean man and is planning on marrying him soon . We love him as we'll and also love the Chaldean food he sometimes brings to us! I would love to learn to make some of the dishes he brings to us. This is one dish we have not tasted but that my daughter loves! Wish me luck when I attempt to make this ! Much thanks for your helpful pictures !

Marie

1/27/2016 12:10:27 am

I myself have fallen in love with a young chaldean man . Stole my heart the minute we met eyes.

gloria zebari link

7/29/2013 08:55:59 am

I'm Chaldean and have shortened it American style:
pack a jar with your chopped veggies (I only use cabbage, cauliflower and turnips); fill with water then pour out the water
into a measuring cup to see how much liquid you will need.
Boil a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water and pour into the glass jar.
Add 1 TBS curry powder and 3 TBS salt, close jar and let sit on counter overnight

John

9/9/2013 01:38:31 am

Is this using a 1 gallon jar as well?

daisydaze streamate link

10/19/2013 05:23:43 am

Your blog looked so simple to design that I decided to create one, thanks!

Vee

10/25/2013 11:57:37 pm

Is Apple juice a must? If so, any particular kind you would suggest? Thanks!

10/26/2013 01:13:08 am

Vee,

I doubt it. I think vinegar of any sort is the main essential. You can keep waiting for further comments if you choose to do so.

Brett

1/7/2014 10:41:04 pm

After making two batches with carrots and cauliflower, I tought I should share:
#1 made with Water, Apple Juice, Cider Vinegar, Salt, Curry and turmeric for coloring [1/4 ts] and some dry peppers for heat.
#2 made without the Apple Juice.
The apple juice gives a smoother taste in my opinion where without it, the veggies have a harsher bite to them, not bad just my preference.
Thanks for posting the recipe, very much appreciated.

Reni

7/5/2014 06:21:13 am

Recipes are quite tasty...would you have a recipe for Kibbe Hommoud ?

Roger link

1/13/2021 10:08:46 am

Great readinng your blog post

Ellen

6/16/2022 02:19:55 pm

Happy to see so many michiganders in the comments! I'm not chaldean but growing up here in metro Detroit has given me such a love for the food! I absolutely love the turshi my local restaurant serves but it gets expensive eating out all the time. I'm excited to try this so I can eat it more often!

Turshi - Slightly Sweet Pickled Vegetables

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