Rajasthani Fresh Turmeric Sabzi

From the garden

• ½ lb fresh turmeric rhizomes, peeled and finely grated · wear gloves; this is the vegetable here, not the spice
• 1 cup shelled peas · fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot green chile, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 4 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter · turmeric needs fat to give up its flavor, so this is not the place to cut back
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked completely smooth
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder · Kashmiri chili if you keep it, for color more than heat
• salt · to taste
• black pepper · the classic partner to turmeric, for flavor and for absorption

1. Pull on gloves, scrape the rhizomes clean with the edge of a spoon, and grate them fine. Work on a plate rather than a wooden board, because fresh turmeric dyes wood, plastic, cloth and fingers a stubborn gold that does not wash out.
2. Melt the ghee in a heavy pan over low heat and add the grated turmeric. Fry gently 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until the raw earthy smell fades, the color deepens toward rust and the fat starts to separate at the edges. High heat here turns the whole pan bitter.
3. Stir in the ginger, garlic and green chile and cook 2 minutes, then add the cumin and chili powder for 30 seconds more, just until the spices smell toasted.
4. Lift the pan off the heat and beat in the whisked yogurt a spoonful at a time so it cannot split. Return it to the lowest heat, add the peas and a splash of water, and simmer 8–10 minutes until thick and glossy with ghee pooling at the rim.
5. Season with salt and a generous grind of black pepper, then rest 5 minutes off the heat. Serve in small portions with hot roti, scattered with the cilantro, since this is rich and pungent and a little goes a long way.