Turmeric

In our veggie box this week we have fresh turmeric, not ginger!

Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. It gives a characteristic yellow colour to dishes prepared with it. Most people would be familiar with powdered turmeric classically added to Indian curries.

The fresh rhizomes store well if kept dry in the fridge,  wipe dry if they are damp, then wrap with a paper towel and they should last many weeks. 

Turmeric is rich in the mineral Manganese and also iron. Its also rich in antioxidants with an ORAC score of 159277, this compares to dark chocolate at 20823. I think I'd prefer to eat 100g of chocolate than turmeric somehow!!

Turmeric skin is inedible so remove this outer layer with a veggie peeler. Take care when handling fresh turmeric, as it can stain hands and clothing on contact. Use gloves when handling turmeric and use soap and hot water to reduce any accidental staining. The inside can then be sliced, chopped or grated and used to season food. Use fresh turmeric just like ginger. Peel it, grate it and add along with ginger and garlic in your curries. The amount of fresh turmeric would be equivalent to a 2-3cm piece, per teaspoon of dried turmeric powder.

The reported health benefits of turmeric are very impressive

·         A Potent, Yet Safe Anti-Inflammatory

·         An Effective Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

·         Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis

·         Help for Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers

·         Cancer Prevention

·         Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth and Metastases.

·         Turmeric and Onions May Help Prevent Colon Cancer

·         Turmeric Teams Up with Cauliflower to Halt Prostate Cancer

·         Reduce Risk of Childhood Leukemia

·         Improved Liver Function

·         Cardiovascular Protection

·         Lowers Cholesterol

·         Protection against Alzheimer's Disease

Source http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

Suggestions of what to do with turmeric are varied and because it’s so damn good for us, go crazy with it!!

• Add Turmeric to anything yellow or could be yellow e.g Recipes for eggs, egg salad, spice rub for meats and fish, vegetable dips, steamed vegetables, corn dishes and mustard.

• Use Turmeric in recipes that are not yellow. Counterbalance the Turmeric with red paprika and black pepper. When making tacos or other food that would look funny if they were yellow, just add an equal amount of paprika with the turmeric to counterbalance the yellow colour.

• Use it when cooking Indian food – my personal Indian curry recipe is below. Also brilliant in dhals as it goes so well with lentils

• Adventurous souls even add it to smoothies – I am a smoothie queen but I have yet to do this!!

• Turmeric can apparently be used to deter ants. The exact reasons why turmeric repels ants is unknown, but anecdotal evidence suggests it works

Vegetable Indian curry

  

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped/grated

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped/crushed

2 Tbs coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes or 1-2 fresh chillies as desired

10 -12 curry leaves – optional, but if you can get fresh ones they make the dish!!

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric (2-3 cm piece of fresh turmeric grated)

1 red onion, halved and thickly sliced

Approx 1kg of seasonal vegetables e.g 

    Carrot, sliced approx 1/2 cm

    Corn on the cob, sliced in 1-2 cm rounds

    Zucchini (Courgette), sliced into 1-2 cm rounds or half moons

    Kohlrabi or turnip, peeled and sliced into 1-2 cm cubes

    Radishes, trimmed and used whole or cut in half if large

    Button mushrooms, cleaned and used whole or halved 

1 tsp salt or 1/2 to 1 tbs of tamari (wheat free soy sauce)

1 kaffir lime leaf or a squeeze of lemon juice

Small handful of sultanas - optional

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 can of coconut cream 

 

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, let them start popping (but don’t let them burn).Then add the fenugreek seeds, followed by the chilli, garlic, ginger and curry leaves and stir on a medium heat till fragrant

Add onions and ground spices and stir till onion softens

Add vegetables except corn and stir for at least 5 mins till the veg start to soften

Add remaining ingredients including corn, reserving half the tin of coconut cream

Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 30mins. Depending on the size of the veg depends on the cooking time. Add the rest of the coconut cream right at the end of the cooking time. Check seasoning before serving.

Serve with basmati rice, mango chutney and poppadoms (I will save my chutney recipe for mango time, unless you are gagging for it now!)

Please tell me what you think,

Cheers Kristine Miles

kristine@kristinemiles.com