In one of my cooking classes my teacher put some turmeric into what he was cooking, I believe it was quinoa. Someone asked why he did that and he said his family has done it all his life and he just likes the taste of it. Well it got me thinking that there had to be some benefit to this spice, especially since it turns everything yellow! And I mean yellow! Becareful here with dish rags or clothing because it will stain them. Remember, the more colorful your diet, the more nourishing it is. So I went home and started doing my research. Well color me happy because there are a lot of benefits to this spice!
If you are a fan of Indian cuisine and eating dishes like Chicken Curry, then you have tasted turmeric. Or if the food is yellow, like mustard, then you know turmeric is in it. But did you know how good it is for you??? It has long been used in the Chinese and Indian systems medicinally to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. It also helps to prevent colon and other cancers, serves as an anti-inflammatory, improves liver function and is believed to prevent and treat arthritis. Curcumin is the yellow pigment in turmeric and is the active constituent. The best thing about this revelation of turmeric is you don’t need to go out and buy an expensive herbal supplement, you can just add it to your dishes that you already make! Some people just mix it with water and drink it. I would suggest just adding it to soups, salads, rice or veggie dishes to start out. I have included a curried cauliflower recipe below, which I found on allrecipes.com, because I have read that turmeric and cauliflower together have shown an increased protection against colon cancer!
Lets eat to nourish!
Easy Curried Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 3 cups grated cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
- 1 (12 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
Directions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and cumin seeds. Cook and stir until the onion has turned golden brown; about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomato, cayenne pepper, salt, turmeric, and coriander. Continue cooking 2 more minutes, then stir in the cauliflower, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kidney beans; cook and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with garam masala to serve.
