Nepali Cooking: Most used spice

Just as oil is essential to almost any kind of cooking, there is one spice that is so prevalent in basic Nepali cooking that no household is complete without it. It is used in cooking vegetables, meats, daal and many other foods. It is said to have curative and disease-resisting powers. It is also used for making Nepali pickles especially cauliflower and radish (moola). But beware spilling it or wearing light colored clothes when using it. This spice is so potent that it leaves permanent stains on clothes and furniture. Most Nepali kitchens have to be scrubbed quickly and thoroughly if one wants to remove its stain. Why then is this spice so commonly used? Because if not used, foods do not have the same flavor and taste. What then is this must-have spice which in the hands of children or careless cooks causes so much havoc? It's the simple spice we call "besar" - turmeric in English. One can never get the essence of Nepali food unless besar is added. Just be VERY careful with its use - I have yellow stains on my kitchen counter and kitchen floor to prove it.