Turkish Curry Spice 101

The clocks went back last night, so you got an extra hour this morning and you'll get an early dark tonight. November's free sample is Turkish Curry, and it's a good one to have on hand once it's dark by five.

Turkish Curry is built on Coriander, Turmeric, and Ginger alongside Fenugreek Leaf, two kinds of cardamom (Cardamom Seed and Black Cardamom Pod), and Urfa Biber. Urfa is a Turkish chile flake that's sun-dried by day and wrapped at night to cure in its own oils. Its heat is soft and a little raisiny, with a hint of smoke, so you'll taste more warmth than burn. A few warm spices round out the blend.

Here's where we'd start with it.

Stir it into soup. A spoonful goes into a pot of lentil soup, a squash soup, or whatever you're making with the vegetables left in the crisper drawer.

Roast root vegetables with it. Toss carrots, parsnips, beets, or sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and a generous shake of Turkish Curry, then roast them in a hot oven until the edges brown.

Simmer it into a tomato sauce. Season a pot of tomato sauce with it, work a little more into lamb or beef meatballs, and let the meatballs finish cooking in the sauce. For a meatless version, simmer cauliflower florets in the same sauce until they're tender, and serve either one over rice or with bread.

We'd love to hear what you cook with it. Share what you made in Cooks Club, whether it's a full recipe or a weeknight improvisation you'd make again.

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Your free sample is included with every order over $35 through November, and orders over $100 get a free small tin of Turkish Curry.

 - World Spice