Ingredients
Vegetables
- 800 gturnips, peeled and cut into batons
- 1small raw beetroot, peeled and sliced
- 3 clovesgarlic, peeled
Brine
- 800 mlwater
- 50 gnon-iodised salt
- 100 mlwhite vinegar
- 1 tspsugar
Directions
- Cut the turnips into finger-thick batons. Anything thinner goes floppy; anything thicker stays raw in the middle after two weeks.
- Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water, add the vinegar, and let the brine cool completely if you warmed it.
- Pack the turnip batons upright into a clean jar with the garlic, tucking two or three slices of raw beetroot down the side.
- Two or three slices is all it takes. Beetroot bleeds fast, and a jar with half a beetroot in it turns muddy purple and tastes of beetroot rather than turnip — the pink is meant to be a bright stain on a peppery pickle, not a flavour of its own.
- Pour the brine over to cover everything by 2 cm and weigh the vegetables down so nothing floats.
- Leave at room temperature, out of direct sun, for a week in warm weather or two in cool. Loosen the lid daily for the first few days to let gas out.
- It is fermenting properly when the brine goes cloudy and slightly fizzy and the smell is sharp rather than sulphurous.
- The colour travels inward day by day. When the batons are pink through and the brine tastes sour, move the jar to the fridge, where it keeps three months.
- Serve with falafel, shawarma and grilled meat.
Technique
- Two or three slices of beetroot, no more.
- Everything under the brine, lid loosened daily at the start.
- Cloudy fizzing brine is correct. A slimy pull or a rotten smell means starting again.
Substitutions
- A splash of beetroot juice instead of slices, for colour with no risk of dominance.
- Cauliflower florets added, which is common in Lebanon.
- Skipping the vinegar for a pure salt ferment, which is slower and more sour.
Variations
- The Iraqi and Iranian torshi lift are the same pickle.
- A hot version with a chilli or two in the jar.
History
A Levantine staple pickle; a slice of raw beetroot in the jar dyes the turnip within days.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kabees el lift?
Kabees el lift is a fermented & pickled from Syria: turnips brined bright pink with beetroot, eaten with falafel and grills. A Levantine staple pickle; a slice of raw beetroot in the jar dyes the turnip within days.
How long does Kabees el lift take to make?
Kabees el lift takes 20 min plus 1 to 2 weeks of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 1-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kabees el lift?
Yes, within limits. A splash of beetroot juice instead of slices, for colour with no risk of dominance. Cauliflower florets added, which is common in Lebanon. Skipping the vinegar for a pure salt ferment, which is slower and more sour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kabees el lift?
Two or three slices is all it takes. Beetroot bleeds fast, and a jar with half a beetroot in it turns muddy purple and tastes of beetroot rather than turnip — the pink is meant to be a bright stain on a peppery pickle, not a flavour of its own.
