Kabees

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 800 gturnips, peeled and cut in wedges
• 1raw beetroot, peeled and sliced
• 600 gsmall cucumbers
• 6green chillies, pricked
• 1 headgarlic, cloves peeled

Brine

• 1.5 litreswater
• 90 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 6% of the water’s weight
• 100 mlwhite vinegar
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 2bay leaves

Directions

1. Cut the turnips into wedges and slice the beetroot thin. The beetroot is there entirely for colour — it bleeds into the brine and turns the turnips the shocking pink that kabees is known for.
2. Trim a sliver off the blossom end of each cucumber and prick the chillies so the brine can get inside.
3. Dissolve the salt in the water and stir in the vinegar. The splash of vinegar gives the brine an acidic head start, which is why Levantine pickles are ready in a week where a pure salt ferment takes a month.
4. Pack the turnips and beetroot into one jar, and the cucumbers, chillies and garlic into another — the beetroot colours anything it touches, and pink cucumbers look wrong even though they taste fine.
5. Divide the peppercorns and bay between the jars and pour over the brine so everything sits 3 cm below the surface. Weight anything that floats.
6. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for one to two weeks, tasting from the end of the first week.
7. Move to the fridge once they taste right. They keep for months.
8. Serve with falafel, shawarma, mezze — a jar sits on the table at every meal.

Technique

• Separate jars for turnip and cucumber. The colour is the reason.
• Everything under the brine, which is the only real failure mode.
• Wear gloves for the beetroot unless you want pink hands for a day.

Substitutions

• Cauliflower, carrot or small aubergine, all pickled the same way.
• Lemon slices in the cucumber jar, which is common.

Variations

• The Jordanian mkhallal and Palestinian version are essentially identical.
• Kabees el lift — the pink turnips alone — is the best known of the family.

History

Pickle jars accompany every falafel and shawarma sandwich; beetroot gives the turnips their signature colour.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kabees?

Kabees is a fermented & pickled from Lebanon: brined turnips dyed pink with beetroot, plus cucumbers and wild cucumber. Pickle jars accompany every falafel and shawarma sandwich; beetroot gives the turnips their signature colour.

How long does Kabees take to make?

Kabees takes 30 min plus 1 to 2 weeks of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills 2 × 1-litre jars. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kabees?

Yes, within limits. Cauliflower, carrot or small aubergine, all pickled the same way. Lemon slices in the cucumber jar, which is common.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kabees?

Dissolve the salt in the water and stir in the vinegar. The splash of vinegar gives the brine an acidic head start, which is why Levantine pickles are ready in a week where a pure salt ferment takes a month.