Tips & Tricks When Cooking with Turmeric
If you’ve been reading our health blogs lately, you must have learned about the many benefits of turmeric. Like most people and health experts, you are convinced that it is one of the best gifts nature has to offer and you want to make it a part of your daily diet. But how do you do it? The easiest way would be to take turmeric supplements. However, you may want to know that there’s another good and delicious method to consume turmeric – add it in your cooking! Read on for some tips and tricks when cooking with this super healthy spice.
Turmeric as a Spice
Also known as Indian saffron, turmeric is an easy find in local grocery and food stores. This spice is an important ingredient in many special recipes. Curry, for instance, is not a curry at all without turmeric. The spice gives this dish its unique flavour and appetising colour. It can also be added to usual foods to achieve a particular flavour. A little turmeric can go a long way in your recipes. Whilst you can purchase curry powder or curcumin, it’s also great if you can have the ‘more complete’ version which is turmeric powder itself. You can find it in a health food store or Indian supermarket.
You can add turmeric to almost any dish. Yes, this spice is very versatile and doesn’t leave strong flavour unless you add plenty of it. Whether you add it alone or in combination with onion or garlic powder, cayenne pepper, bouillon cubes, or sauces, turmeric can greatly boost the flavour of rice, chicken, meat and vegetable meals. Turmeric is a great addition for marinades too! You can even use it for salad dressings. Try experimenting on the amount of turmeric and combinations with other spices, oils, herbs and seasonings until you achieve a mixture that works best for your taste bud.
Do you love making tomato-based sauces? For a more complex flavour, add a teaspoon of turmeric in your homemade tomato sauce. Its earthy bitterness goes well with the sweet tanginess of tomatoes, and its vivid yellow colour combined with the brilliant hue of tomato produces a beautiful orange-tinged red sauce. If you don’t like the taste of saffron, you can make use of turmeric instead. Turmeric gives any dish a bright yellow colour like saffron but its flavour is milder. Before roasting cubed potatoes, rub it with oil infused with turmeric. Just add a small amount so it doesn’t overpower the taste of potatoes. Add a dash of turmeric into your scrambled eggs, and when sautéing onions, sprinkle a pinch of turmeric for added flavour.
Turmeric gets more potent when cooked so if you’re new to its taste and flavour, start with small amounts.
Selection and Storage
The widely used form of turmeric is the ground one but you can also try using whole turmeric. Since it is vulnerable to light, this spice is often contained in airtight tins. You want to store the tin in a cool, dark place because turmeric loses its potency in about six months especially if it is exposed to light or heat. The colour of turmeric can range from deep yellow-orange to bright yellow. This is simply due to different varieties.
When cooking with turmeric, avoid touching your clothing because it is a powerful dye and can stain. It may also stain your cooking pots and pans so wash them right after using.
Turmeric can really make your cooking more fun, delicious and healthy. The next time you cook – whatever it is – scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, soup, stir-fry, etc – try adding turmeric. Its health benefits plus its culinary properties will take your diet to the next level!
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