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Turn to Turmeric

15 February 2010 5 Comments
Turn to Turmeric

Turn to Turmeric

In India turmeric holds the crown in the spice market. Be it any festival, a religious ceremony or for simple health reasons, turmeric is a consistent winner.

A lump of turmeric is always placed in a prayer prior to invoking the deity. The bride & the groom are smeared with turmeric paste before calling for the wed- lock. A cut here, a bruise there and the humble turmeric come to the rescue.
During the winter season fresh rhyzomes of turmeric are easily available in the market. Here is a quick recipe from my mothers’ kitchen cabinet for a tangy turmeric pickle.

Turmeric pickle: Wash and scrap the 200gms of turmeric rhyzome well. Dice it in small pieces or grate it for better texture.  Slice 9-10 green chillies and mix in the grated turmeric.  Heat desired quantity of oil and add spices(mustard, saunf, cumin, onion seeds). Mix the oil & spices along with salt and ½ tsp. of asafetida to the grated turmeric. Store in a clean jar.

The two most important elements, which make turmeric a much sought after spice are curcumin & volatile oil.

Health Benefits:

  • Curcumin an antioxidant is proved beneficial in curing cancer & boosting immunity.
  • The volatile oil in turmeric is anti-inflammatory, and acts against arthritis & stomach ulcers.
  • Turmeric detoxifies the liver and help increase its ability to clear LDL cholesterol.
  • It stimulates the flow of bile and is a good digestive aid.
  • Natural antiseptic & anti-bacterial in nature, it protects & heal the cuts faster.
  • Control obesity, as it helps digest fats by stimulating the flow of bile.
  • Helps lower blood pressure.

Turmeric Trial: Bane of living in a metro city with pollution and dirt all around made my hubby knock the doors of doctors often for his recurrent sinus problems. I switched his daily cup of coffee in the mornings with turmeric milk for the past two years.  The change was difficult but after a few denials he started enjoying the change for good.

Now that the irritation from the sinus & the doctor’s bills have reduced, I have a cheerful hubby with loads of love & praises in store for me !

With numerous health benefits to its credit there is no harm in giving the humble turmeric a try !

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5 Comments »

  • varsha said:

    are we Indians not lucky that turmeric is an indispensable part of our cuisine?I remember Ma used to put raw haldi poultices on our cuts and bruises when we were kids.
    Thanks for the pickle recipe!

  • KIRTI said:

    hi,
    let me know the exact procedure to prepare turmeric milk? My mom suffers from arthritis with constant pain in her knees… Any good veg solution for her
    will appreciate ur efforts!!

    love n take care

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    Hi Kirti,

    Various methods to make Turmeric milk;
    1. Just add 1/4 tsp of Turmeric powder to hot milk and drink. I do the same for my hubby for his morning milk.
    2. Boil 1 1/2 cups of milk with Turmeric in it for 7-10 minutes. Add sugar or cool it and add honey before drinking it. During winter add 2-3 peppercorns (Kali mirch) in the milk while boiling and have it as a good remedy for cough & cold.

    My mom & MIL too suffer from Knee pain which worsens in winter season. Ask her to drink lot of fluids and include lots of veggies in her diet. Mom use to heat a leaf and apply it to the knees for some relief. Can’t remember the name at present.

    Hope this helps. Take care.

  • Divya said:

    Hi Sanjeeta! Nice to know turmeric has such super-powers!I turn to turmeric milk with palm sugar only when I suffer from cold! Good to make it a daily thing! I appreciate ur openness in writing that the switch from coffee to turmeric milk was difficult yet ur hubby gradually accepted it and benefited too! 🙂

    You have a wonderful blog with very useful collection of recipes! Your writing style is also gripping!

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Divya, thanks for reading and writing your views…this was one of the very first articles posted on Lite Bite. Palm sugar with turmeric is good idea..and Turmeric rocks in India and Indian cuisine!

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