Guest Post: Turmeric – The Wonder Spice

Posted by Matt on January 16th, 2010 at 07:00am

This post comes to us from Komali Nunna, a California-based chef from Southern India who has been entertaining guests in her home and community for 25 years. She now shares her time-tested recipes in a new cookbook, Entertaining from an Ethnic Indian Kitchen. To obtain spice blends used in this recipe and to learn more about her cookbook, visit www.KomaliNunna.com.

Every year, a new scientific study comes out about the healing properties of the spice turmeric or that of curcumin, the compound found in turmeric. Most recently, a study published in the October 28, 2009, issue of the British Journal of Cancer reveals that curcumin kills esophageal cancer cells in vitro. Scientific research indicates that turmeric is known to cure various elements that can go wrong with the human body such as ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Over the centuries, and long before turmeric hit the spotlight in the west, turmeric has had a place of honor not only in India’s traditional Ayurvedic medicine but also in Indian households. No religious rituals and auspicious ceremonies are complete without the use of turmeric. In the Hindu wedding ceremony, for example, bride and groom pour turmeric-tinted rice over each other’s heads, which signifies prosperity and fertility.

Known as “the poor man’s saffron” in India, turmeric is a perennial shrub. It is grown all over the Southern states of India and is a member of the ginger family. Although it has a slightly pungent and bitter taste, turmeric does not change the taste of the food tremendously. However, whatever food you add it to turns a golden yellow color.

As a spice, turmeric has had a long history as an anti-inflammatory in India’s traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric is also widely used as an antiseptic agent. In the village I grew up in, my mother always washed meat or fish with turmeric, because it protects meat from spoilage (oxidation degradation) and protects its nutritive values because it contains the potent antioxidant curcumin. If it can protect a piece of meat, it can also protect our body tissue. In fact, eating food rich in antioxidants such as turmeric has been shown to benefit the body’s immune system in countless ways.

Turmeric is also known as a cleansing spice, which explains why women in Indian villages cleanse their bodies by applying the turmeric paste before washing.

Alzheimer’s disease has an important connection with inflammation –and turmeric is known to reduce that inflammation. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the buildup of amyloid protein “plaques” within the brain. In studies done on rats, curcumin “not only reduces the amyloid, but also reduces the (brain’s) response to the amyloid,” according to researcher Dr. Sally Frautschy of the University of California, Los Angeles. Almost every curry in Indian cuisine uses a moderate amount of the spice turmeric, which may help explain why rates of Alzheimer’s disease are much lower among the elderly individuals living in villages in India compared to their Western peers.

In India turmeric is also used as a digestive aid. The next time you have a stomachache, you may want to consider the spice turmeric.

Overall, turmeric brings healing power to your life, which is why I use it in so many recipes. The following recipe I created is not only delicious, but it is rich in antioxidants: turmeric, ginger, pomegranates, and lime juice. Enjoy it in good health!

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is not made with lemons, but with limes. It is a South Indian recipe, where only limes are available. Limes are tarter in flavor than lemons, and the tart flavor balances the spicy chilies and ginger in this recipe. Mustard seeds add crunchiness and pungency to the dish. This recipe is not only simple to make, but also looks colorful and festive and is good enough to serve at banquets. Lemon rice gets its bright and vibrant lemon color from turmeric.

Lemon rice is usually served at room temperature. Lime juice, ginger, chilies, and turmeric preserve this rice and keep it from spoiling. It can be left at room temperature for a day, loosely covered. When I was growing up, it was a popular choice for kid’s school lunches, picnics, and train journeys.

I like to garnish lemon rice with pomegranate seeds, which shimmer like fine jewels against the vibrant yellow bed of rice.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
2 – 3 dried red chilies such as chile de arbol
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon white urad dal
2 tablespoons chena dal
1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
20 fresh or dry curry leaves
1-inch piece ginger, minced
1 – 3 minced fresh green chilies, such as serrano
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons lime juice
4 cups cooked plain white rice
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add asafoetida and red chilies. When red chilies are turning one shade darker, add mustard seeds and cover with the lid until spluttering subsides. Uncover and add white urad dal and chena dal. When white urad dal is turning golden brown, stir in cashews. As soon as cashew nuts turn one shade darker, add curry leaves. As curry leaves crisp up, add ginger, green chilies, turmeric, and salt. Fry for one minute, and turn off the heat. Let it cool for 3 minutes, add lime juice. Now stir the lime juice mixture into cooked rice, and mix thoroughly. Let the rice rest for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to mingle before serving. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds before serving.

Cook’s Note: (1) If you taste the rice as soon as you make it, it tastes very lemony. But after it sits for a half hour, the lime juice absorbs into the rice and the flavors mingle. Then you can adjust the seasoning if necessary. (2) Red chilies are added for flavor. They are not meant to be eaten.

Tags: Health, healthy foods, nutrition, what to eat

Under Health Tags: Health, healthy foods, nutrition, what to eat