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Turmeric is a herbaceous plant that hails from the family of ginger. Owing to its warm, piquant and bitter flavor; turmeric is highly used as a flavoring agent in many recipes. Turmeric is mainly used for its color that is typically bright yellow. Sometimes, turmeric recipes become famous due to the mild flavor bestowed by the turmeric. In European countries, turmeric was traditionally called as ‘Indian saffron’. Though turmeric has a hard brown skin, it is the yellow flesh that has varied uses in culinary world. Some of the widely held turmeric recipes are curry sauce, Thai style chicken and corn relish.
History of Turmeric
The history of turmeric is 5000 years old. It was first harvested in Indonesia and southern parts of India. Since then turmeric has been an integral part of Ayurvedic medicines used in various cultures. Europeans were introduced by the turmeric through Arabs in 13th century. The beneficial therapeutic properties of this wonder plant led to its popularity in western countries as of late.
Culinary Uses of Turmeric
Turmeric is a highly accepted ingredient in almost all curry dishes. Various kind of curry powders and sauces are created with the wide use of turmeric. Turmeric dishes contain bright yellow color that is typically appreciated in all cuisines. Turmeric leaves are used in making numerous turmeric recipes.
Turmeric is not only an ingredient for savory dishes but it is popularly used as a flavoring as well as coloring agent in many sweet dishes and beverages. Ice creams, flavored yogurt, jellies, jams and icings get their yellow color from turmeric itself. Turmeric is generally used in powder or dried form but in many instances fresh turmeric is incorporated to turmeric dishes. Fresh turmeric pickle is a well-liked condiment in many cuisines.
Salad dressings, dry spice mixes, mustard sauce as well as margarine are few other turmeric recipes that are well-accepted in international cuisines.
Popular Turmeric Recipes and Preferred Methods for Cooking
‘Sfouf’ is one of the most popular turmeric dishes. It is a famous almond and semolina cake prepared in Lebanese cuisine. Turmeric is typically used for flavor and color with semolina flour, sugar and nuts. ‘Curry sauce’ is a popular recipe that extensively makes use of turmeric for color and flavor. Curry sauce is popularly used in many cuisines for meat as well as vegetable curry dishes.
Turmeric recipes can be cooked with any method including baking, stir-frying, grilling, canning as well as boiling. Baking method is primarily used for puddings and cakes, whereas, stir-frying, grilling and boiling are typically used with savory turmeric dishes. Canning is basically used for beverages, jams and jellies.
Cuisines Commonly Making Turmeric Recipes
As turmeric is believed to be the native of Indonesia and India, these cuisines are popular for incorporating turmeric in their recipes. Turmeric is an indispensable part of Indian and Indonesian curry dishes. Even, salad dressings, yogurts and some sweet dishes fondly use turmeric. Indian condiments such as pickles and chutneys make good use of turmeric.
Further more, Persian and Malay dishes also utilize turmeric as a flavoring agent. Along with all these cuisines, turmeric recipes are well-liked in Middle Eastern and South African cuisines. Europeans mainly use turmeric as a medicinal plant and in few instances as a culinary ingredient.
Nutritional Properties of Turmeric
Owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is a widely recommended plant for medicinal purposes. It is highly digestive as well. Various ointments are made with the spice that is used against burns and skin diseases. As far as nutrients are concerned, turmeric is a rich source of minerals like iron and manganese. Potassium along with Vitamin B6 is present in high amounts in this medicinal plant. If measured, the contents of dietary fibers are very high in turmeric recipes.
Buying and Storing of Turmeric
It is recommended to buy turmeric from trusted and specialty stores of herbs and spices. Color is not the criteria behind the selection of the turmeric as color varies along with different varieties.
Dried or ground turmeric can be stored in an air tight container for upto several months; where as rhizomes of fresh turmeric should always be stored in refrigerator.
Types of Turmeric
Turmeric can be classified according to its availability in the market:
• Fresh turmeric – This comes in the form of rhizomes with hard brown skin and orange flesh. The flesh is typically used in cooking. Fresh turmeric is used in medicines as well as in making condiments.
• Ground turmeric – Fresh turmeric is dried and grounded to form turmeric powder that has varied culinary uses. Turmeric powder is widely sold in packed or loose form. It is typically added in dry spic mixes and in various turmeric recipes.
Non-Food Uses of Turmeric
The most popular use of turmeric apart from cooking is to make cosmetics. Various sunscreens and skin creams utilize turmeric due to its therapeutic properties. It also works as an ant repeller.
Turmeric: Trivia
• Though turmeric gives nice color to food, but it is a very bad quality cloth dye as it fades very fast in sunlight.
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