Turmeric

Haldi is the workhorse yellow of Pakistani cooking — nearly every curry starts with a pinch in the onion-and-tomato base. Its flavor is secondary; its purpose is color, and its antiseptic properties mean it is also rubbed into raw meat before washing (a step many Pakistani cooks learned from their mothers). In winter, haldi doodh (turmeric milk) becomes a home remedy for colds across Pakistani households.