On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 05:46:27 GMT, Steve Wertz >
wrote:

>On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:10:10 GMT, No One wrote:
>
>> Should turmeric be dry fried with the other spices or not? Sometimes I
>> get a bitter result. Is this too much, not cooked long enough or cooked
>> too short?
>
>All spices for Indian food for be fried for a few seconds in a
>dab of ghee or oil.

Uh, no. A generality like that is as bad as premixed 'curry' powder.

Already powdered spices should not. Saffron should not. Some recipes
call for the whole spice to be pan roasted not fried.

As for tumeric, as with any spice it should go in when the recipe calls
for it. When putting it in early, Memsahib usually puts it in after the
onions have sweated, so the oil is not hot enough the burn. As I
recall, the only spice she always fries in a little oil/ghee is mustard
seed.