Turmeric (Haldi)
Turmeric
is one of the very important spice in India, which produces nearly the
whole world's crop and uses 80% of it. Turmeric usage dates back nearly
4000 years, to the Vedic culture, when turmeric was the principal
spice and also of religious significance. Today, turmeric
is still added to nearly every dish, be it meat or vegetables. Largest
quantity being in Dals, potatoes, gravied or dry curries. Turmeric
is part of all curry powders.
In South East Asia, the fresh spice is much preferred to the dried. In Thailand, fresh turmeric is grated and added to curry dishes; it is also part of the yellow curry paste.
Yellow rice (nasi kuning) is popular on the Eastern islands of Indonesia; it derives its colour from fresh or dried turmeric. In Bali, where alone in Indonesia Hinduism has survived, a tasty nasi kuning is prepared from rice, turmeric, coconut milk and aromatic leaves (Indonesian bay-leaf, lemon grass and pandanus leaves). It is considered a “cultic dish” and sacrificed to the Gods; no-one who has ever visited Bali will forget the masses of Balinese streaming to temples and sacrificing, among other gifts, cones of yellow rice, e.g. in Bali's most important temple at Besakih (see also Indonesian bay-leaf for some details about Balinese cooking and lesser galanga for a famous Balinese recipe). On Jawa, Indonesia's most populous island, Hinduism has been abolished in favour of Islâm; yet nasi kuning is still held a somewhat sacred dish. Moreover, Indonesian cooks frequently add dried turmeric to their stews and curries.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Hindi | हल्दी |
| Kannada | ಅರಿಷಿಣ, ಅರಿಸಿನ |
| Marathi | हळद |
| Tamil | மஞ்சள் |
| Telugu | హరిద్ర |
Western cuisine does not use turmeric directly, but it forms part of several spice mixtures (see above about curry powder) and sauces; it is also used to impart a bright yellow colour to mustard paste.
Turmeric is sometimes confused with saffron because of similar staining capabilities, although saffron gives a more orange colour. Since turmeric does not share the fascinating aroma of saffron, it is not an acceptable substitute or even alternative to it!
The so-called white turmeric is a closely related plant (zedoary), whose fresh rhizome is not so much used as a spice, but eaten as a very tasty vegetable. You can do the same with ordinary yellow turmeric, but it will stain your teeth yellow.
Turmeric's staining capability may seem a nuisance to everybody who must clean cooking utensils – cutting boards are particularly hard to clean with brush and soap alone. The dye is, however, not light-proof and fades away after but one hour in direct sunlight.
