5 ways to incorporate turmeric into your diet
Turmeric (also known as curcumin) has all but magical properties and has been used in cooking and medicine for thousands of years. Now designated as a ‘superfood’, adding turmeric to your diet will only benefit your health. Known for its anti-inflammatory use as well as a host of other applications, it is worth a try at least.
The turmeric that you see whole in shops and supermarkets is a rhizome, or underground stem that is not overly attractive. It is gnarled and knobbly, with a rough brownish skin on the outside. When cut into, the inside is quite pale, but when dried into a powder, it becomes a bright, golden yellow colour. Likened to whole ginger in its appearance, there is a difference in flavour. Turmeric has a warm, peppery, and slightly spicy flavour, whereas ginger is slightly sweeter and zingy, particularly in desserts.
Once also used as a dye for clothing, if you handle powdered turmeric, it is quite likely to stain your fingers bright yellow! Find out more about what you can do with the Schwartz range of turmeric.
Diced and blended fresh Turmeric
Peel and dice a 2.5cm piece of turmeric and place in your blender as an addition to a juice or smoothie – it brings a tasty zing to your drink. You can use either vegetables or fruit in your smoothie, just make sure you blend the fresh turmeric well. Try using other orange vegetables such as carrots or butternut squash. Carrots, orange and turmeric is an excellent combination. A powerful blender is the best to use. Another recipe to try is our Butternut squash ginger and turmeric lentil dhal.
Grated Turmeric
Grated turmeric as well as ground turmeric is a good addition to soups. Pop it in with your vegetables when cooking the soup and bring to the boil so that it softens. You will benefit from the flavour as well as the glorious colour. Make sure you use a microplane grater so that the fresh turmeric is as fine as possible. For a comforting start to the day, why not try our Turmeric Baked Oats?
Ground Turmeric in Curries
Grated turmeric as well as ground turmeric is a good addition to soups. Pop it in with your vegetables when cooking the soup and bring to the boil so that it softens. You will benefit from the flavour as well as the glorious colour. Make sure you use a microplane grater so that the fresh turmeric is as fine as possible. For a comforting start to the day, why not try our Turmeric Baked Oats?
Sliced Turmeric
Peel and slice the turmeric into slivers. Drop several slivers into boiled water with a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice and a dash of black pepper. Leave to infuse until the liquid takes on the yellow colour. Stir and drink up – incredibly good for upset stomachs and it will pep you up too. Try one of our popular carrot soup recipes for yourself!
Turmeric Syrup
Whilst there are turmeric syrups available in specialist stores, there is nothing better than making your own. Combining fresh turmeric with honey and water and allowing it to reduce by half on the hob, provides a delicious syrup to add to cocktails and other drinks – gin and tonic anyone? What is even better to know is that you drain off the syrup separately, which leaves the chopped golden pieces of turmeric to save as candied sweets after drying them out! Delicious. Our Pineapple Turmeric mocktail with muddled danelions comes highly recommended!
So many ways with turmeric so experiment to your heart’s content.
What to do with the whole turmeric rhizome
If you buy a whole turmeric in the shops, choose one that is still firm and with a skin that is not too wrinkled. Once purchased, keep it in an airtight container until ready for use – this way it will last for quite a long time (up to 2 months).
Fresh turmeric can be grated into salad, soups, stews and casseroles. Many people remove the skin, but it is not necessary if you want to add texture to your dishes. It is by no means harmful but do scrub well before using.
With an unmistakable, bright yellow hue, turmeric powder isn't just known for its many uses in cooking - tumeric grounds have been used for centuries to colour foods such as yellow mustards and even dye fabrics. Ground turmeric is now more than likely to be found in your favourite curry, or adding depth to omelettes, meat dishes and coffee.