Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

// Kacchi Haldi ki Sabji - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry is an authentic Rajasthani recipe which is very popular in the city of Jodhpur. Tastes great with flatbread.

By Anupama
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Kacchi Haldi ki Sabji Recipe / Fresh Turmeric Root Curry / राजस्थानी कच्ची हल्दी की सब्जी is an authentic Rajasthani recipe which is very popular in the city of Jodhpur. This curry is also called a health booster as it is full of turmeric and other spices, which have some very impressive healing properties. I guess most of us already know about the health benefits of turmeric.

a pan of rajasthani haldi ki sabji garnished with almond and cilantro on a wooden plate with a spoon

The curry recipe I am sharing today has gallivanted thousands of miles. This is something I have wanted to eat for a long long time. And by that long time, I meant a length of over a decade.

I never had or heard about this curry ‘ Haldi ki Sabji’ (हल्दी  की सब्जी ) until the day I savored it from Varsha’s lunch box. All of my friends carried lunch boxes throughout the duration of our school days.

And we just loved sharing our lunches with each other. Variety of taste at a single meal was a rare commodity back then.

a bowl of haldi ki sabji on a wooden plate with some roti and a glass of water on a wooden board

How it all began? To answer that, let me take you down the memory lane.

I am talking about my early education days. Varsha has been my friend since those early days. During winter times, she used to carry a very special and distinctive curry in her lunch box. Varsha currently lives in Jaipur.

However, originally Varsha and her family hails from Jodhpur (Rajasthan). You might know about Jaipur as my native home city, about which I have written a thousand times 🙂 ).

This particular turmeric root curry is a very popular curry from Jodhpur. Thus, I never had this at my home. Varsha’s mom used to cook that droolicious curry for her. And for my types, we used to act like scavengers at the very smell of that curry.

In those years, I didn’t realize that the flavor of this curry would leave a mark on my taste buds, and eventually I would miss it terribly. Frankly speaking, I did not miss it much during the time I lived in India.

It’s because every-time I craved for it, I simply asked Varsha to rescue my taste-buds.

But later when I moved to Noridcs and started craving for homemade spicy food, then I craved for this curry too. Many times when I saw fresh turmeric roots at the grocery stores here, it took my desperation to another level.

And every single time I saw them, I seriously yearned for that turmeric curry (haldi ki sabji) Varsha used to bring in her lunch box.

But now when I think about it, I could not find a single reason about what took me so long that I didn’t ask her about this recipe earlier.

a pan of rajasthani haldi ki sabji garnished with almond and cilantro with a roti

So finally last month I called to Varsha for the recipe, and asked if she knows about how to make that same fresh authentic turmeric root curry. And this is how it happened.

Me: “Varsha, I am terribly missing that ‘haldi ki sabji’ you used to bring in your lunch box. I have got some fresh turmeric roots and I want exactly the same curry. Do you know how is it made?”

Varsha: “Yes, of course, I know. But my Mom makes it at home and luckily she is sitting nearby. I will ask her and will call you back in 5 minutes”

Me: “Yeah, I will wait for the recipe and most probably I will make it today itself.”

Varsha: “Mom is saying, why don’t you come home and she will make it for you.” 😀

Me: “Awe, that’s so sweet of Aunty. Tell her, I will surely come when next time I will visit India.”

Varsha: “Alright! Mom said a lot of ghee is a must for this recipe. You need to roast grated turmeric in ghee. And she told me the whole process verbally.”

Me: “Wow, sounds delicious and not too tricky to make. I will surely make it today. However, I don’t have ghee at home right now so I will make it in butter. I hope that should be fine.”

Varsha: “Wait, let me ask it to Mom”. She asked to her mom and said: “No, it wouldn’t taste as good in butter as it tastes in ghee. So if possible, try to make it in ghee”.

Me: “Ah, I understand. I guess maybe butter wouldn’t give that authentic touch. So, I will have to make ghee first and then I will let you know about how it went.”

Varsha: “Sure. Try it and let me know how it turned out?”

a plate of rajasthani haldi ki sabji with roti, salad, and pan of sabji on a wooden plate

Then I made the ghee first and after that made the curry the same day because I couldn’t wait any longer. Abhishek has never had this curry before, but I have already told him a million times about the goodness of this curry.

So he was completely sold on the idea of making ‘Haldi ki Sabji || Turmeric Root Curry’, and he absolutely loved it.

He said: “I never knew that turmeric can make this awesome stuff. I won’t mind if you make it often”. 😉

I obviously loved it entirely too. Thanks a bunch to Aunty and Varsha for this lovely family recipe they shared with me. So, I finally had this curry after a long time and it was just so good.

a pan of rajasthani haldi ki sabji garnished with onions on a wooden plate with a spoon and a napkin

What is ‘Haldi ki Sabji || Turmeric Root Curry’  (हल्दी  की सब्जी )?

This is an authentic Rajasthani recipe which is very popular in the city of Jodhpur. In India, winter is the season when the farmer-market is so full of fresh turmeric roots. Thus, this curry is made during the winter time.

This curry is also called a health booster as it is full of turmeric and other spices, which have some very impressive healing properties. I guess most of us already know about the health benefits of turmeric. This curry is served hot with roti, or rice.

Use hand gloves. Here’s why.

For making this curry, I would recommend you to use gloves while peeling and grating turmeric roots, as they tend to leave yellow stains on hands. For removing skin from fresh turmeric, use a spoon. It will scrape off the skin easily.

You’ll be surprised to see how easy and smooth this spoon technique works.

a plate of rajasthani haldi ki sabji with roti, salad, and pan of sabji on a wooden plate

This turmeric root curry has 50 shades of yellow!

Turmeric root originally is of deep orange color, and when cooked, the color turns to distinctive yellow first. After that when cooked for some more time, it turns to a shade of brown. That’s exactly what we want. The turmeric root curry is different than a ground turmeric curry.

This curry is not bright yellow — it’s a little earthier.

How to make Haldi ki Sabji?

The curry base is made with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions, yogurt and some spices. For an authentic and rich taste, roasting turmeric in ghee is a must for this recipe. And the spices and tomato-yogurt based gravy takes care of the rest.

Then the most ah-mazing curry is ready.

This is how you make it:

Scrape fresh turmeric roots with a spoon to remove the skin.Now grate the turmeric roots and set aside. Grind tomato, ginger, garlic to make a smooth paste. Grind onion to make a smooth paste.

Combine chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and yogurt in a deep bowl and whisk it well until there is no lump remain. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the grated turmeric on medium heat till it turns golden brown. Drain the roasted turmeric on a plate and set aside.

Add cumin seeds to the same pan. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add onion paste.

Sauté till onion paste is golden brown. Add tomato paste and mix well. Sauté for 2 mins and add green chilies. Let it cook till you see ghee on sides.Add whisked spiced yogurt and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes. Cover and cook on medium heat till the ghee separates.

At this stage, you can add water if you want. (If you are adding water, let it come to a boil before adding roasted turmeric.) Add roasted turmeric, salt and mix well.Cook on medium heat for 7-8 until you see ghee floating on the top. Turmeric curry is ready. Serve it hot with chapati or rice.

a bowl of haldi ki sabji on a wooden plate with some roti and a glass of water
a pan of haldi ki sabji on a wooden plate with some roti and a glass of water

Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry (Step-by-step photo instructions)

Peeling and Grating Turmeric Root (Kacchi Haldi):

  1. Scrape fresh turmeric roots with a spoon to remove the skin.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Now grate the turmeric roots.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  3. Set them aside.
    4. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-3 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Making Tomato Paste:

  1. Add tomato, ginger, garlic to a blender, and blend to make a smooth paste.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Tomato paste is ready. Keep it aside.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Making Spiced Yogurt:

  1. Combine chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and yogurt in a deep bowl and whisk it well until there is no lump remain.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Once whisked, keep it aside.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Making Onion Paste:

  1. Add onion to a blender jar and blend well to make a smooth paste.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-4-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Onion paste is ready. Keep it aside.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-4-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Frying Turmeric Root (Kacchi Haldi):

  1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-5-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Once hot, turn the heat to medium-low and fry the grated turmeric on medium heat till it turns golden brown.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-5-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  3. Drain the fried turmeric on a plate and set aside.
    4. Image of the recipe cooking step-5-3 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Making Haldi ki Sabji (Turmeric Root Curry):

  1. Add cumin seeds to the same pan.
    2. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-1 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  2. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add onion paste.
    3. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-2 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  3. Sauté till onion paste is golden brown.
    4. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-3 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  4. Now, add tomato paste and mix well.
    5. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-4 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  5. Sauté for 2 mins and add green chilies.
    6. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-5 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  6. Let it cook till you see ghee on sides.
    7. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-6 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  7. Add whisked spiced yogurt and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes.
    8. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-7 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  8. Cover and cook on medium heat till the ghee separates. At this stage, you can add water if you want. (If you are adding water, let it come to a boil before adding roasted turmeric.)
    9. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-8 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  9. Add fried turmeric, salt and mix well.
    10. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-9 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  10. Cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until you see ghee floating on the top.
    11. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-10 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry
  11. Turmeric curry is ready. Serve it hot with roti or pulao.
    12. Image of the recipe cooking step-6-11 for Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry

Recipe Card


Kacchi Haldi ki Sabzi - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry [Recipe]

Recipe Image
Kacchi Haldi ki Sabji - Fresh Turmeric Root Curry is an authentic Rajasthani recipe which is very popular in the city of Jodhpur. Tastes great with flatbread.
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 246 reviews)
Prep time 🕐 Cook time 🕐 Total time 🕐
37 mins
Category ☶ Cuisine ♨ Serves ☺
Sides Indian 6
Nutrition Info ⊛ Serving size ⊚
185 calories 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

For Haldi ki Sabji:
  • 250g fresh turmeric root (kacchi haldi)
  • 2 medium tomato (tamatar), diced
  • 1 inch ginger (adrak), peeled and sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves (lehsun ki kaliyaan), roughly chopped
  • 2 medium onion (pyaaj), chopped
  • 1/4 cup ghee, or more if needed (use vegan butter to make it vegan)
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tsp red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoons cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 cup yogurt (dahi), (use dairy-free yogurt for vegan version)
  • 4-5 tablespoons water, if needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Peeling and Grating Turmeric Root (Kacchi Haldi):
  1. Scrape fresh turmeric roots with a spoon to remove the skin.
  2. Now grate the turmeric roots.
  3. Set them aside.
Making Tomato Paste:
  1. Add tomato, ginger, garlic to a blender, and blend to make a smooth paste.
  2. Tomato paste is ready. Keep it aside.
Making Spiced Yogurt:
  1. Combine chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and yogurt in a deep bowl and whisk it well until there is no lump remain.
  2. Once whisked, keep it aside.
Making Onion Paste:
  1. Add onion to a blender jar and blend well to make a smooth paste.
  2. Onion paste is ready. Keep it aside.
Frying Turmeric Root (Kacchi Haldi):
  1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Once hot, turn the heat to medium-low and fry the grated turmeric on medium heat till it turns golden brown.
  3. Drain the fried turmeric on a plate and set aside.
Making Haldi ki Sabji (Turmeric Root Curry):
  1. Add cumin seeds to the same pan.
  2. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add onion paste.
  3. Sauté till onion paste is golden brown.
  4. Now, add tomato paste and mix well.
  5. Sauté for 2 mins and add green chilies.
  6. Let it cook till you see ghee on sides.
  7. Add whisked spiced yogurt and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes.
  8. Cover and cook on medium heat till the ghee separates. At this stage, you can add water if you want. (If you are adding water, let it come to a boil before adding roasted turmeric.)
  9. Add fried turmeric, salt and mix well.
  10. Cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until you see ghee floating on the top.
  11. Turmeric curry is ready. Serve it hot with roti or pulao.

WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...

NOTES:

  1. No notes for this recipe.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/haldi-ki-sabji-fresh-turmeric-root-curry-video-recipe/

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