How to Eat more Turmeric!

I am reading a lot these days about the benefits of including turmeric in your diet. It is believed that one of its compounds, curcimin, is a powerful antioxidant and helps with inflammatory conditions, to help protect the liver, prevent cancer and help manage symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Interestingly, according to the BBC, eating turmeric is far more effective than taking supplements. so here’s some ideas.

Of course, I know nothing about medical matters and am not advising on its use for medical problems, just how to add it to your food it if you feel it is right for you.

By most people’s standards the taste of turmeric is on the mild side; musky, lightly peppery, a hint of ginger (to whom it is related) and orange but nothing intrusive so it’s easy to incorporate a little into all sorts of things, so long as you “gan canny” as my guy would say, too much and your meal might be bitter. Try a pinch here and a pinch there.

Turmeric also gives a lovely sunny yellow hue to food and almost everything it touches so be constantly aware of this, it will stain given half a chance.

15 Ways to Sneak Turmeric into your Cooking …
(You don’t have to like curry!)

~   A pinch or two of turmeric stirred into mayonnaise may, although it’s not your fault, lead people to think you have used wonderful ultra-fresh eggs in your homemade dressing!

~   Taking this theme a little further dress hard boiled eggs with this lightly spiced mayonnaise for a pretty and delicious egg mayonnaise or use as a dressing together with a little fresh mint on freshly cooked new potatoes, cool and serve as a deliciously different potato salad.

~   Mix into melted butter together with chopped parsley and squeeze of lemon for drizzling on fresh veggies.

~   Add a modicum when cooking rice for a lovely golden dish and perhaps stir in sultanas and toasted almonds for extra flavour and goodness.

~   Include a little turmeric in a vinaigrette dressing, especially if the recipe contains lemon.

~   Turmeric goes well with lentils, beans, dried peas and chickpeas – curried or otherwise. Add some to hummus or go a bit fusion and try some in pease pudding.

~   Add a little turmeric to the flour when making batter of other coatings for fish, or anything else savoury.

~   Roasted vegetables – add a little turmeric to olive oil together with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss with prepared vegetables, diced potatoes and cauliflower florets are particularly good here, and roast at 200°C/400°F/180ºC fan/gas 6 for 30-40 minutes to tender, crisp and even more golden than usual!  

~   Toss a little of the above seasoned oil with small pieces of bread and bake till crisp for spicy golden croutons.

~   Roasted nuts and seeds are also good roasted in this oil.

~   Add a little chilli and lime to the same flavoured oil and use to marinate fish before frying or grilling.

~   Make a compound butter by mixing a little turmeric, freshly ground black pepper and salt into softened butter. Rub the butter onto a chicken before roasting, top cooked meats and fish with a dollop, brush onto corn on the cob, mix into mashed potato, add to pan sauces.  

~ A little turmeric stirred into soup will give it a lovely golden hue and, depending how much you use, a flavour boost.

~ Add a pinch to smoothies.

~   Egg dishes such as omelettes and scrambled eggs also look as if you have used the freshest bestest eggs ever if you add a little turmeric.

Tips to Help your Body Absorb Turmeric

~ Turmeric is not very soluble in water but heat increases its solubility and therefore absorption. Too much heat will spoil this good effect, however, so if you are cooking something for a long while add it towards the end.

~ Fats, especially, of course, healthy fats help the body take in curcimin so let your turmeric “bloom” in a little oil beore adding it to a dish – just cook for 30 seconds or so, or add to onions you have alredy cooked for a dish. (Hopefully you will have cooked them this way!)

~ Eatining black pepper, freshly ground is best, with turmeric apparently helps absorption.

You probably thought that people not liking curry was an urban myth,
but I assure you that such folk do exist – my partner is living proof.

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