Turmeric, Ground

Ground turmeric is deep gold, almost orange, and it smells faintly of resin and bitter orange peel. The taste is earthy and a little musty, with a mild peppery bitterness at the back. On its own it is not friendly. Cooked in fat, stirred into stock, or simmered with onions and garlic, it settles down and gives food a warm, savory depth along with that unmistakable color.

Use it in curries, dals, and lentil soups. Add it to rice before the water goes in. Rub it into chicken thighs with salt, black pepper, and oil before roasting. Whisk a pinch into scrambled eggs. It works in pickle brines, in braised cabbage, in roasted cauliflower, and in yellow mustard-style dressings. A little goes into slow-cooked beans and stews without announcing itself.

Start with a quarter teaspoon for four servings and taste before adding more. Half a teaspoon is enough for a pot of soup. Past a teaspoon in most dishes the bitterness takes over and the color turns chalky rather than bright. Bloom it in hot oil or ghee for thirty seconds before adding liquid; raw turmeric stirred in at the end tastes dusty. Be aware that it stains wooden spoons, counters, and pale grout.

Keep the jar closed, away from the stove, and out of direct light. A cupboard shelf is better than a rack above the range. Heat and sunlight dull both the color and the aroma within a few months.

• 2 oz (57g): for the cook who makes a curry or a pot of rice a few times a season.
• 20 oz (567g): for weekly cooking, a household that keeps lentils and beans in rotation, or anyone baking and pickling as well.
• 75 oz (2126g): for a restaurant kitchen, a catering setup, or a cook filling smaller jars for a household that uses turmeric daily.
• Decant large jars into a small shaker for the counter and keep the rest sealed.
• Pairs well with cumin, coriander, ginger, black pepper, and mustard seed.