If you ask people what Asian cuisine they love best, many of them will probably rave about Indian food. Who wouldn’t love this cuisine? Not only is it flavorful and colorful, but it also uses a wide variety of ingredients, particularly herbs and spices, that makes the dishes more unique and interesting.
One of the wonderful, commonly-used herbs in Indian cuisine is turmeric. Read on to learn more important facts about turmeric.
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric, a member of the ginger plant, is a bright yellow or orange spice that adds spiciness to any dish. In India, it is most popularly used for making curry. Turmeric is called “poor man’s saffron,” because even if it’s cheaper than saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, it also adds the same color to the dishes (not the same flavor, though).
You probably hear many people call turmeric “curcumin.” The fact is, curcumin is entirely different from turmeric – it is actually just a component of the herb. Curcumin is the curcuminoid in turmeric that gives it its very bright yellow color. Without curcumin, turmeric will just be like any ordinary herb.
Because the curcumin in turmeric works as a very potent food dye, it is also widely used in the food manufacturing business today. For example, mustard gets its yellow color from turmeric. You will also find this natural spice used in some cosmetics.
Try These Turmeric Recipes
Many people refrain from using turmeric when cooking, because they believe that this herb is difficult to use. This isn’t true at all. In fact, turmeric can be used just like chili powder or pepper. The only difference is that the curcumin will quickly change your food’s color. It can be tiring to keep using turmeric to make curry, though, so here are a couple of unique but easy recipe alternatives you can try.
Lemon-Ginger Turmeric Tea
Turmeric may taste great when mixed in curry, casseroles, and rice dishes, but did you know that it also tastes great as a tea?
Ingredients:
• Two cups of water
• Juice of half a lemon
• Half a teaspoon of turmeric
• Half a teaspoon of ginger
• One tablespoon of honey
Procedure:
1. Heat the water in a small pan until it boils.
2. Lower the heat and add in the ginger and turmeric. Let this simmer for at least 10 minutes under low heat.
3. Strain the tea and stir in the honey and lemon.
You can serve this warm or cold, depending on your preference. It’s a refreshing twist to your regular tea.
Turmeric Egg Salad
This is just like your regular egg salad, but with a unique (and slightly spicy) twist.
Ingredients:
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Mayonnaise
• Yellow mustard
• Chopped onions
• Celery or apple
• Salt and pepper
• A teaspoon of turmeric
Procedure:
1. Chop your hard-boiled eggs into small, bite sized pieces. Put them in a large bowl.
2. Get some mayonnaise, enough to completely coat the eggs, and at least two tablespoons of yellow mustard and mix them well with the eggs.
3. Add the chopped onions and the celery to the eggs. If you don’t like celery, apple will work well.
4. Sprinkle in a little salt and turmeric for a spicy kick.
A reminder when cooking turmeric: curcumin is potent enough to stain your clothes, kitchenware, and even your skin, so be very careful when handling this spice.
Where Can You Buy Turmeric?
The good news is that you don’t have to go all the way to India to get some turmeric or curcumin. You can now purchase this in your local grocery stores. Turmeric is usually sold in small bottles. For people who don’t want to try turmeric without using it in recipes, turmeric supplements are also widely available today.
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