Tzimmes is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish side dish made with sweet root vegetables. Preparations often include carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, and dried fruits. This lovely, sweet, colorful dish is often served for Rosh Hashanah. The word tzimmes is a Yiddish expression for “making a fuss” over something.
The Yiddish name for this dish is accurate. Tzimmes is a bit of a fussy dish. With all of those root veggies, the recipe involves peeling and chopping, then more peeling, then more chopping. That said, the recipe is actually pretty simple once you get past the vegetable prep.
This side dish is most often served for Rosh Hashanah, where sweet foods are served to signify our hope for a sweet new year. Carrots may be chopped into circles, which are reminiscent of coins, symbolizing prosperity. Sometimes tzimmes are served with meat, like chunks of flanken or short ribs, in a luscious sort of savory/sweet stew. Most often, they’re served as a side dish to accompany the holiday meal.
But here’s the most important question about tzimmes… how the heck do you pronounce it??
Tsi-miss!
You’re welcome.
If your kitchen is anything like mine during the holidays, oven space is precious. With brisket and chicken in the oven, kugel warming, and challah baking, I try to find ways to cook my side dishes on the stovetop. Hence the name of this recipe – Stovetop Tzimmes!
To make this dish parve or vegetarian/vegan, use “no-chicken” broth (a vegan broth option) to cook the ingredients. I like using chicken broth because it adds a savory element to this naturally sweet dish, giving it a nice balance of flavors. This dish is gluten free and kosher for Passover (if you use KFP certified broth/ingredients). Enjoy!
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Stovetop Tzimmes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds orange yams, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (2 potatoes)
- 1 1/2 pounds white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (2 potatoes)
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (8 carrots)
- 6 ounces dried apples (1 1/2 cups)
- 6 ounces dried cranberries (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (you may substitute "no chicken" broth)
- 12 ounces pitted prunes (3 cups)
Instructions
- Place cut yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots on the bottom of a large heavy pot.
- Pour dried apples and cranberries on top.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Pour mixture over the fruits and vegetables in the pot.
- Add chicken broth or "no chicken" broth to the pot, covering the vegetables halfway. Heat pot over medium high until it begins to simmer. Stir the ingredients once gently.Reduce heat to a gentle but constant simmer. Cover the pot.
- After 45 minutes, open the pot and gently stir again. Place pitted prunes on top of the simmering ingredients.
- Cover pot. Continue to cook on lowest heat for another 15 minutes, until potato pieces are tender and prunes have warmed and softened. Don't cook too long, or the prunes will dissolve-- it will make a nice sauce for the tzimmes, but it won't look so pretty on the table.Serve warm as a side dish to a festive holiday meal.
Nutrition
Hi Tori,
I love your recipes and I just wanted to let you know that my husband whose first language is Yiddish, said that TZIMMES means ‘mixed together’ and TUMULT means ‘making a fuss’or a disorderly commotion.
Also, I’ve made this recipe for several years to a very appreciating audience!
Best Regards and thanks for your cooking ideas,
Leah Suffin
Interesting Leah! Thank you for sharing.
We made this yesterday and it turned out beautiful, easy to follow and really lovely smells and tastes. There was a lot left over for two of us though so we shared the love with our neighbors. We could not find white sweet potato but made with yams and garnet sweet potato. And did not have dried cranberries, so we used dried cherries! Agree on stove top, excellent plan.
Dried cherries are a fantastic sub!
I added cardamom to the recipe. I’ve tried to make more Sephardic dishes for the holidays. A bit of cardamom is a nice touch.
Excellent tsimmes! I got stuck with only yams and didn’t have white sweet potatoes so I just doubled up on the yams and it still was wonderful.
I’ve made this recipe about ten times in the past year. I have begun to modify it a little, though.
(1) It’s delicious, but very sweet. I’ve started adding yellow onion — about one onion to for the single batch above (I often make a double batch).
(2) likewise, I’ve added about a quarter cup of balsamic vinegar, which adds a little zip.
(3) I’ve backed off on the orange juice and (vegetable) broth, because the recipe seems to come out a little “wet” as is. This is almost certainly my fault for over cooking. However, the flavor is outstanding.
What’s the best way to reheat stovetop tzimmes so veges and prunes don’t overcook and turn to mush . Or is it best prepared and served same day.
Hi Deb, the best way to reheat this (to reduce the chances of overcooking) would be in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. Even when making the same day, some of the vegetables and prunes will get soft – they contribute to the sauce of the dish. Just didn’t want you to expect all of the pieces to be fully intact – that’s part of the charm of tzimmes. But if made as written, it shouldn’t be overly mushy. Enjoy!