Turmeric

Turmeric colors food gold, tastes earthy and a bit bitter, and dissolves best in fat.

Flavor

How to use it

Cook it in oil. Raw powder tastes chalky. Fry it briefly in oil to remove rawness and spread color.

Use a small amount. A teaspoon can color an entire pot. More than that and it turns bitter.

Common mistakes

• Adding it dry at the end, where it tastes raw.
• Using too much, which makes the dish bitter and metallic.

What goes with turmeric

• Black pepper. Pepper's sharp heat cuts turmeric's muddy earthiness, a staple pairing in curries.
• Cumin. Both turmeric and cumin share earthy and warm aroma compounds.
• Cauliflower. Turmeric's earthy warmth and golden color stand out against mild cauliflower.
• Chicken thigh. Turmeric's earthy warmth flavors chicken thigh and colors its juices gold.
• Lentil. Turmeric's earthy warmth is the classic seasoning for lentil dal.
• Mustard Seed. Turmeric adds earthy color and flavor beside mustard seed's sharp pungency in curries and pickles.
• Potato. Turmeric's earthy, mustardy notes color and season potato in Indian curries.
• Rice. Turmeric's earthy yellow tints and flavors rice in Indian and Southeast Asian dishes.

Try tonight

• Fry in oil with onion before adding lentils.
• Stir into rice while it cooks for golden grains.
• Whisk a pinch into a creamy dressing.

Storage

Keep ground turmeric in a sealed jar; it stains everything, so use a dark spoon.