# Ideas for Fresh Tumeric?



## jade lauron (Jan 10, 2013)

So, I'm getting in a batch of fresh tumeric, and I've seen all the ways you can use it just like the powdered stuff yadda yadda. But what I really want to try is something along the lines of whole slices. After all, you can manage that with ginger and I don't think fresh tumeric is nearly so powerful a flavor, although I imagine the dish is going to be incredibly *YELLOW*. I've never played with (or even tasted) fresh tumeric, so this is pretty exciting, and I'd also like to incorporate some other colors into the mix. Maybe some kind of curried risotto or a spicy lentil dish?


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Turmeric has a slightly dry, metallic flavor and I used it for making a yellow-orange cream  sauce for pan fried trout!

And, it stains permanently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## chicagoterry (Apr 3, 2012)

Here's a recipe for a raw turmeric pickle that calls for slices, but even this recipe writer says she adapted it from a recipe that usually calls for ginger. And there is a lot of ginger in the recipe to "complement" the turmeric flavor. As an Indian pickle, it would be eaten in small quantities, with other foods, rather than by the forkful.

I'm thinking the reason you are not finding recipes for sliced, cooked turmeric is because it would not be at all pleasant to eat. Turmeric does have a medicinal flavor, and is, in fact, used as an ayurvedic medicine as well as a spice rather than as a vegetable in Indian cooking.

Apparently, it is often sold at markets with another root with a flavor that offsets some of the turmeric's bitterness.

http://www.mydiversekitchen.com/2012/12/indian-style-fresh-turmeric-ginger.html

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-12/news/34413008_1_turmeric-colour-taste


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## jade lauron (Jan 10, 2013)

Ah, I'm starting to see many pickle recipes (look up "mango-ginger" and fresh tumeric) along with some traditional chutneys.  Seems like the pickling process removes the bitterness.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

It shows up in some Thai and Indian dishes. I don't have any suggested recipes as I've never had access to fresh turmeric.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Freash turmeric definitely has a more pleasant taste than the dried stuff. I use it for curry pastes and sometimes marinades if I can get it.
By the way: you can freeze the stuff. Just cut into 1 or 2 cm pieces, put in a plastic bag and freeze (same can be done with ginger and galangal).
There are a couple of recipes on shesimmers.com. If I remember correct, it has chicken and fish recipes with turmeric (and loads of other delicious Thai recipes)


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## jade lauron (Jan 10, 2013)

I found somewhere that someone made a pastille from fresh tumeric pieces, but seems you have to double blanch it to remove the bitterness.  (Also where someone tried to candy it without blanching it first, with nasty results.  Why they would do this I don't know.) 

Of course, once it's been blanched, it doesn't have to be candied....

I'm almost hopping up and down with excitement.  I never get to play with new ingredients anymore.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Jade Lauron said:


> I found somewhere that someone made a pastille from fresh tumeric pieces, but seems you have to double blanch it to remove the bitterness. (Also where someone tried to candy it without blanching it first, with nasty results. Why they would do this I don't know.)
> 
> Of course, once it's been blanched, it doesn't have to be candied....
> 
> I'm almost hopping up and down with excitement. I never get to play with new ingredients anymore.


It's all about experimentation with new ingredients and combinations to see what can be accomplished.


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## slayertplsko (Aug 19, 2010)

I've never heard of fresh turmeric sliced and, frankly, I doubt it's going to work. The usual suspects for its use are SE-Asian curries and suchlike, where it's pounded in a heavy mortar to a paste with a myriad of other ingredients. I've got David Thompson's Thai Food at home, so may look up some recipes if you're interested. Though it usually combines with other similar ingredients like galangal, fingerroot etc.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

I was given a large bag (about 20lbs!) of fresh turmeric while in peru. I had no idea what it was at the time (about 8 years ago) and didn't know what to do with it. I ended up grinding some of it up into a paste and using it to color garlic rice, which turned out very nice and gave it a distinct flavor that cannot be replicated with the powdered stuff.

I also made Aji de Gallina with it (one of my favorite meals).  But with that, you'll need a peruvian pepper called Aji Amarillo, if you can find it. Luckily, it's readily available here in SLC.

And I made Papas a la Huancaina. Both of these dishes really benefit from the fresh stuff.  

That being said, I ended up throwing out about 19 lbs of it because, like ginger, it really goes a long way!


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