Turmeric

Bisibelabath is kitcheree’s spicier cousin. The name means “hot lentil rice,” so consider yourself warned—this is a spicy dish of vegetables, rice, and lentils straight out of South India. I like to serve it with raita to cool things off.

Quick pickled vegetables are welcomed any time of the year. Use fresh produce like cauliflower, carrots, radish, radish pods, or raw turmeric for this preparation.

Starting the wings in a cold oven allows the fat to render slowly so they get even crispier. Pour off the infused fat and save for stir-fries or cooking crispy eggs.

There’s a history lesson in this spice blend: Yemen and India were stops on the ancient trade route, so this turmeric-based mix bears a resemblance to some Indian masalas.

Quinoa and baked fish are well seasoned with tangy sumac, tart lime, and garlic in this Persian-inspired dinner.

Coconut crisp, laced with chile and garlic, brings texture and heat to this easy salmon dish. Make a double or triple batch of the garnish and use it as a topping for savory oatmeal, hearty soups, or roasted winter vegetables.

This dish is triply aggressive, with sweet, sour, and spicy tastes strung together in an intense interplay. To make it your own, experiment with the balance of those three elements—you might make it more sour, or very, very spicy, depending on your palate and preferences.

To keep shrimp tender, don’t let them sit in the marinade for too long before grilling. The acid in the citrus will start to firm up and cook the flesh.

This super-easy recipe is a perfect canvas for punchy, crunchy toppers like toasted coconut and mustard seeds with turmeric oil and a zingy chutney. The dal is vegan but full of hearty protein thanks to the chickpeas, lentils, and coconut milk.

Blooming the ginger, turmeric, and black pepper in oil is essential for releasing their aromatic properties into the sauce.

The sweet-and-sour glaze on these pork chops gets them good and dark, coating them with rich flavor—don’t be afraid to let them get a little black.

This is a homemade version of a miracle spice mixture that's a staple in Puerto Rican kitchens.

Dal tends to firm as it sits, so make sure to add a splash or so of water if you’re reheating it.

Cooking lemon slices just to this side of burnt adds a layer of complex flavor to this comforting dish.

Eggs on toast goes veggie-centric with quick-pickled veg and marinated feta. Everything except the croutons can be made ahead, and any weekday can start off this colorful.

Who doesn’t love a plate-sized pancake for dinner? In this Asian-inspired riff, the protein-rich savory pancake is made with a chickpea flour and coconut milk batter and studded with bacon, scallions, and turmeric-spiced shrimp. Top it off with fresh herbs and crunchy mung beans and it’ll gain a permanent place in your weeknight rotation.

Grilled medium or medium rare, the delicious meat pulls from the built-in skewer (aka the bones), and you salivate even more as you chew.

This recipe requires a little extra prep time and an overnight marinade, essential in developing those rich, full-bodied curry flavors that we love so much. Plan ahead, get prepped, enter a world of next-level tastiness.

This particular kadi sauce is based on the Gujarati (Western India) version of a yogurt-based sauce thickened with gram flour (besan). In that region the sauce is sweet and sour.

Use this Indian-spiced tomato sauce in Gujarti Eggplant and Sweet Potato “Lasagna.”