If you are a regular reader of wellness blogs, you might have heard a lot of buzz about turmeric lately. This staple Indian spice once used to reside far away in the corner of non-Indian kitchen cabinets but has now been used widely and generously worldwide and for all good reasons.
Recent studies revealed that turmeric has many healthy properties that can alleviate various ailments and boost your health. So adding this spice to food can give your body and mind wonderful benefits. If you are new to this turmeric fandom, keep reading the article to learn about this amazing spice and offer tips on using turmeric in your cooking.
Types of turmeric
Generally, we are only familiar with golden-tinged turmeric, but that is not the only type of this super spice. Turmeric comes in mainly two varieties: yellow and white, and both differ vastly in properties and use.
Yellow Turmeric
Yellow turmeric is the most popular form and staple indian spice in Indian cuisines. This type has a bright yellow tinge due to its high content of an active compound called curcumin. If used correctly, it can give your food a bright yellow color and earthy flavor. But more than the suggested amount may ruin your dish with its astringent taste and pungent smell.
White Turmeric
White turmeric, as obvious by the name, has white color. It is milder than its popular yellow counterpart and has a slightly raw mango-like flavor. This type isn’t used as a spice. However, it is often consumed as a salad or tossed in a pickle to impart its milder turmeric-like flavors.
Ways to use turmeric in your food
Turmeric is mostly treated as a spice and used in powder form with other spices. However, in India, where turmeric is a native plant, it is used in various ways, both dried and fresh root.
Turmeric Powder
Turmeric powder is often tossed with other spice powder at the beginning of the cooking process or with marination to impart its earthy flavors to the food.
Fresh Turmeric Roots
Fresh turmeric is often used as an ingredient rather than a spice. You can grate fresh turmeric root as you would grate ginger or make a paste with mortar and pestle.
How to use turmeric for the best flavor
There are mainly two ways to use turmeric. Either use it during the cooking process. Or add it in marinade preparations to give your fish and meat dishes a brilliant golden tinge before putting them into the oven or frying pain. You can choose whichever way you like but remember, never use more than half a teaspoon of this spice.
Turmeric has an extremely pungent flavor that can overpower your dish and ruin your experience. If you are starting with turmeric powder, use it in a small amount first, as little as ¼ teaspoon, and gradually increase the quantity once you get comfortable with the flavor. Moreover, keep your whites away or avoid wearing one when using this spice because it stains stubbornly.
Substituting turmeric root for the powder
Turmeric powder is a more common form of using this healthful spice. But paste is also quite a popular ingredient in some parts of India. When using fresh turmeric paste, the ratio slightly varies from the powder.
Since turmeric powder is more concentrated than fresh root, you would want to use fresh turmeric a little more than the powder. If a half teaspoon of the powder is okay for you, go for a little more than a half teaspoon for the paste to achieve the same flavor.
Both turmeric powder and fresh turmeric root have almost the same amount of healthy properties. So start using whichever is easily available to you and let this superfood work wonders for your health.