Want some yellow rice?

"Mama, I want some more yellow rice!"

Wheee!* Little boy Bris likes my Mixed Seafood Rice. Actually, it's not really mine. I got the recipe from PinoyCook. The moment I read "turmeric" in her recipe, I consulted Wikipedia and found this. I giggled. Yeehuuu! I've got a new "mystery" ingredient to moor my curiosity with! Wheeee!


Since turmeric is native to India, I instinctively asked my Indian teammates how much they know about turmeric. They say it's a staple spice in their kitchens, just as much as chili powder to them. It's not spicy hot, they say. Just spicy, with a mild flavor. One even said that they sometimes work the turmeric powder into a paste and use it to disinfect wounds. Wheee! Interesting!

One teammate volunteered to bring me a small bag of turmeric. Another one promised to give me her bag of "American" turmeric. She said she's been using the one she got from her homeland since it's obviously better. A week or two has passed, no turmeric. I went to some grocery stores and found some, but I was doubtful, so I waited till one of my officemates finally handed me a medium-sized bag filled with yellow-orange powder.

Please refer to the link I provided above if you feel like trying this yourself. For me, this is the kind of dish that is more enjoyable to prepare with a roomate or family since a lot of chopping of seafood has to be done before actual cooking. One can clean and slice squid. Another can peel and devein shrimp then steam or sautee it in butter. A younger family member can make hard-boiled eggs and slice them after. Yet, another can slice fish fillet into bite-size pieces and season and steam them. I am not saying that this is difficult to make. It's just a dish special enough to involve more people into the kitchen while chatting away till your tummies growl for food. Enjoy!


*My new expression since I read Chocolat. Pardon me if I pepper my posts with this strange utterance of pleasure.