Turmeric (curcuma domestica): great taste, good health!

Returning from china in 1280, marco polo wrote in his notes, “there is also a plant that has all the estate of true saffron, as well as the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron. ” he was carving about turmeric, which is still used as an cheap replace for saffron and occasionally called “indian saffron,” although more likely because of its use in curry than because of marco polo. 

The name turmeric is believed to begin with the latin, terra merita, meaning “merit of the earth”. The spice is highly esteem in india where it is relate with fecundity. During joining rite, a sacred thread dipped in turmeric paste is tied around the bride’s neck by the bridegroom. In malaysia, turmeric paste is spread on the belly of a new mother and the umbilical cord of the baby, both as an neat and to ward off evil spirits. 

The use of turmeric as a tinting agent for food and fabric dates back to before 600 bc. Turmeric is still used in brine and taste and to flavor and color do mustard. The rhizome, or root, is cautiously unearthed, broken into part and then boiled or fume before being dried. The result is a bright yellow powder with a mild, partly cruel, spicy flavor and aroma. Oil of turmeric include mint spice borneol, spicy eucalyptol – with a camphor-like smell – and zingerone, the spicy sweet spicing in spirit. Turmeric is part of the spirit family. 

Turmeric, botanically known as  curcuma domestica, is a tender perpetual, native to india and china so i doubt if it can be grown successfully is our climate even as an annual. However, it makes a gracious potted plant for a sunny window. 

In hawaii, where turmeric is known as olena, the spice is mixed with salt water and, in a charming washing rite, it is spray in the area to be cleanse, occasionally with a ti leaf. 

Medicinally, turmeric has get sizable and likable advertisement recently. In customary indian ayurvedic drug, the herb is regard a normal antibiotic while fortifying digestion and improving intestinal flora. In the may/june, 1996 issue of vrp’s (vitamin research goods, inc. ) nutritional news, turmeric was record as having anti-inflammatory action equal to and occasionally valid than cortisone and phenylbutazone care. Nutritional news also tell learn showing that turmeric’s antioxidant value makes it five times more striking as a free fundamental scavenger than vitamin e and that it has potent anti-cancer and anti-cholesterol estate. No wonder i love curry! some herbalists advise using turmeric’s antibacterial unit (curmunin) locally to fight sure skin rank such as psoriasis and athlete’s foot. 

Turmeric has also been shown to check blood coagulating. This could pose a question for people with coagulating malady and they, along with anyone using anticoagulant drug, should avoid the spice. Turmeric’s long-standing aid as a care for digestive and liver questions has mainly been verify by systematic study, but if a little is good, a lot is not unavoidably valid. Large sum of turmeric can cause desire upset. 

Turmeric is often used as an whole or extra element in curry bowl, but here are a couple of tasty meals using the spice in non-curry applications:

Vegetarian shepherd’s pie

In the order record, layer the obeying in an suitably sized, oiled baking dish:

· ¼ head of shredded green cabbage

· ½ tsp. Of caraway seeds

· ½ cup of brown rice cooked with one teaspoon of turmeric

· salt to taste

· ½ cup of mixed plants – any  you have handy in the refrigerator, but embracing half an onion previously sautéed in butter (even mixed frozen plants are acceptable)

· 3 medium to large potatoes, cooked and mashed with a little butter, milk or cream, salt and lately ground black pepper to taste

Sprinkle the top with a little more turmeric and bake for 30-40 memo in a preheated oven at 325 rank. Allow to cool partly before serving. 

Turmeric also complete fish delightfully. If cod isn’t valid, red snapper or an fine of your fine is acceptable in the obeying prescription. I have even used tuna steaks. 

Asian cod

· 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro

· 2 tablespoons fresh spirit, minced

· 2 cloves of garlic, minced

· 1 small hot red or jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

· 2 tablespoons lime juice

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1/8 of a tsp. Of turmeric

· ¼ of a tsp. Of sea salt

· 4 thick ling cod steaks

Place the first eight elements in a mixer or food processor and blend deeply. If the firmness is too thick, add a little water or white wine. Place the cod steaks in a baking dish and cover with the mixed elements. Bake encase at 350f rank for 25-30 memo or until the fish flakes easily showing doneness. Serve with rice and a plant of your fine. Serves four. 

Here’s a prescription for a timeless coward curry using turmeric:

Mango coward curry

· 6 boneless, skinless coward thighs, cut up into bite-sized pieces

· 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

· 1 tbsp. Of spirit, minced

· 10 cloves of garlic, minced

· 1 tsp. Of cayenne or red chili powder (or more to taste)

· 2 cans of girl

· 2 fresh jalapeno chilies

· 1 tbsp. Of olive oil

· ½ cup of white wine

· 1 fresh, ripe mango, peeled and diced

· 1 medium onion, diced

· 1 cup of yogurt

· 1½ tsp. Of salt

· 1 tsp. Of ground turmeric

· 1 tsp. Of garam masala (optional – see cinnamon prescription)

Mix cooperatively the spirit, garlic, wine, salt and chili powder and pickle the coward pieces in this for at least 30 memo. Blend cooperatively one can of the girl and the chilies. Then add the other can of girl and the cilantro, mixing partly to retain thickness of the girl. Sauté the onion in the olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan until lucid. Then add the coward and pickle and cook for few memo before adding the tomato mix, turmeric, salt, garam masala and yogurt. Stay to cook and stir for about five memo then cover and simmer for about an hour so that the coward is very tender and the taste are well mixed. Just before serving add the diced mango. Serves four.