Spices by nature are aromatic and bold. They are used for adding flavour to food. Even a pinch of any spice adds its own unique taste to the dish. Turmeric, or haldi as its usually called, is one versatile spice. It can be used to flavour sweet or savoury dishes and it brings with it the beautiful golden yellow colour that is the foundation of almost all Indian cuisine.
Most of us think of the orangeish powder that resides in our spice box when we think of turmeric. That is what the processed version looks like. The turmeric plant belongs to the same family as ginger and hence in its original form, turmeric looks like ginger. It is a knotty root with a brown flaky peel which when cut, shows its signature orange or yellow colour. The fresh root can in fact be used to create many dishes as a ‘vegetable’ instead of a spice. It can be boiled with milk to get haldi ka doodh (turmeric milk) which is used as an alternative medicine to treat the likes of cold, fever and body ache.
Turmeric is indigenous to India as it needs warm weather and moisture to grow, which is easily available in India. The medicinal properties of turmeric are not just old wives’ tales. The scientific proof behind it has spread so far and wide that in 1995 the University of Mississippi Medical Center patented the use of turmeric as an anti-septic for wounds. In 1997 this patent was revoked on the grounds of piracy as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India filed a complaint stating that the use of turmeric as a wound healer was documented in India thousands of years ago.
Turmeric has an earthy aroma and a taste that is stronger in the powdered root than in the fresh one. Thus the powder is used in small quantities in curries. The fresh root on the other hand can be juiced, blended into smoothies or chopped to be added to salads. In western India, turmeric leaves are used to steam foods in to obtain a distinct flavour. It is used as a substitute for saffron, which is extremely expensive, because a little amount of the turmeric powder brings the same colour as saffron does.
Turmeric contains a natural compound called curcumin, which provides anti-inflammatory properties to the spice. The potency of curcumin matches that of over-the-counter inflammation drugs. It provides safe relief in case of injuries and sprains by ingestion or application. Since curcumin helps calm inflammation, it can help with bowel issues like colitis and ulcers and in cases of throat infections too. Turmeric acts as an anti-oxidant, which is what helps neutralise chemicals and free radicals that enter our body due to pollution and unhygienic conditions. As a result, it provides relief from diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and skin problems like acne.
This toxin eliminating property of turmeric helps keep the liver healthy. A study to prove this was conducted on rats. The rats that were fed turmeric had a higher level of good toxin removing enzymes in their liver than the ones who were not.
One of the most sought after and researched properties of the humble turmeric is its anti-carcinogen properties. The spice has shown promise in the avenue of cancer treatment and prevention. There are many clinical trials and studies in progress to provide more clarity to this. Studies and surveys have shown that cases of childhood leukemia are fewer in Asia, where turmeric is added to everyday food, than in western countries.
Turmeric is thus one of the miracle foods that is beneficial when included in the diet, since it helps solve many health issues that we may need medication with harmful side effects for.
We should move past using a pinch of turmeric powder as a spice and see that there is a world of possibilities to make use of fresh, organic turmeric as well, which has a plethora of health benefits.