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?

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?

No, I don't dry fry tumeric. Usually only dry fry whole spices unless a
recipe specifically says to dry fry, say, ground cummin or coriander.
I would add the tumeric to the cooking pan with the other spices,
often after the onions have been fried up in ghee or oil.
Tumeric is a more delicate spice . I heard the other day in the media
that it is really good for you in one's diet! I love adding it to
rice accompanying curries (with a tsp of garam masala). Yum.

Cheers
--
Bronwyn

"No One" > wrote in message
...
> 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?

If you mean the dried powder no don't fry it, you will lose too much of the
aromatics and possibly burn it. If you mean the fresh root treat it like
fresh ginger or garlic, fry it in oil gently.

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
> "No One" > wrote in message
> ...
> > 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?
>
> If you mean the dried powder no don't fry it, you will lose too much of the
> aromatics and possibly burn it. If you mean the fresh root treat it like
> fresh ginger or garlic, fry it in oil gently.
>
> David

Good point, I was assuming powered tumeric.

--
Bronwyn

No One, after taking an infinite amount of time, finally, on 14 Aug 2006,
typed out:

> 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?

By dry fried, do you mean frying without oil? I imagine any spices will
burn in that case.

Turmeric is great to golden up spaghetti and noodles if used with pesto
as apposed to a tomato sauce. It's also a must in Thai satay marinade!
And as anyone knows, it's a super-duper yellow dye so handle with care.

Andy

"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
> No One, after taking an infinite amount of time, finally, on 14 Aug 2006,
> typed out:
>
> > 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?
>
> By dry fried, do you mean frying without oil? I imagine any spices will
> burn in that case.
>

Well no, whole spices are often fried dry before grinding in some types of
Indian and Sri Lankan cooking. If you mean ground spices I don't know any
cuisine that does that, as you said they tend to burn.

David

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.