Indian dishes are all about spices. One among them is “turmeric” and it is used in almost all Indian food. It not only brings beautiful color and aroma to the dish but also has amazing health benefits. We all use turmeric in our curries. But the recipe that I am going to share with you today is something unique and special. Any dish that I make is incomplete without this magic ingredient. Yes, it is “sambar turmeric” and I use this as a substitute for normal turmeric powder. Use a spoonful of this powder in your dish and you will surely find the difference in taste. It brings a rich aroma and flavor to the dish. It’s a traditional powder that has been used in our family for generations.
Until lockdown, I never tried making this powder. My grandmother used to prepare this for me and send it. But due to lack of transport, I couldn’t get this from her. I managed some days without that powder. But my dishes never tasted the same as before. I could feel the void. So, I made a call to my grandmother and learned how to make it and I thought of sharing this with you in my first recipe blog.
Preparation time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- Turmeric: 100 grams
- Dhaniya/Coriander seeds: 50 grams
- Jeera/ Cumin seeds: 3 TBSP
- Methi/ Fenugreek seeds: 1 TSP
- Curry leaves: 3 small bunches
- Castor oil: 5 TBSP
- Garlic: 2 Full (10-15 garlic cloves)
- Salt: 1 TBSP
Dry roasting :
This sambar turmeric is easy to make as it involves only dry roasting and blending of spices. Dry roasting the ingredients can remove the excess moisture from the spices and can be stored for the long term.
Dry roasting the ingredients all at once can leave spices like cumin burnt fast. So add them one after the other and also make sure that the stove is on a low flame.
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Take a heavy-bottomed pan and add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and saute them until it gives a nice aroma. Then add cumin seeds and curry leaves and roast them till the curry leaves get dried. By now you could smell the best flavors and aroma all-around your house. Garlic cloves can be added directly to the mixer jar.
Before adding the ingredients to the jar, let them cool completely.
Grinding the spices
Now add all the dry roasted spices to a mixer jar. Along with them add the remaining ingredients turmeric, garlic cloves, salt, and blend them until they make a fine powder.
Finally, add 5 spoons of castor oil to the fine powder and blend for 30 sec for a good mix of ingredients and your sambar turmeric is ready. The color of the powder may vary depending on the type of turmeric we use.
Storage
Store this powder in an airtight container. If you want to keep this powder fresh and aromatic for a longer duration then you can store this in the refrigerator.
How to use this Powder
As I said in the introduction this is a substitute for the normal turmeric we use. This can also be used in place of coriander powder. Just add a pinch or two of this powder in the omlet and try you will surely love it. Non-Veg dishes can turn out to be super tasty with this powder.
Please do try this sambar turmeric in your dishes and share your thoughts on this recipe in the comments below.