Turmeric

So I asked around in the family which ingredient they would like to know more about. These were their responses:

Sis: Ghee

Brother-in-law (Sis’ husband): Potato/banana

Brother-in-law (husband’s bro): Amsul (Do not ask me what it is. I’ll have to do an awful lot of translating and explaining and crazy research on this one!). I secretly think he seeks some evil pleasure in getting on my nerves K)

MIL: Turmeric

I chose Turmeric. Why? Because it seemed the most interesting, least known and most fun to write about J What! You don’t believe that’s the real reason? Come now! It’s true!.

Anyway, enough with that grin now and absorb all that there’s to know about Turmeric.

Turmeric (pronounced tu-mah-ric) is another basic in Indian cooking. 

You know what I think? I think Indian cooking was given birth to/evolved after a LOT of thought and careful consideration. Every ingredient that I can think of has a unique offering. And all combined, you definitely get a wholesome, well-rounded nutritious meal. And that’s exactly what I am attempting to document in this space - write about every ingredient so that when we cook, we know what goes in, how much quantity should go in and should it really go in (henceforth referred to as the ‘Health Alert’ section).

Back to turmeric. Turmeric is an underground stem from the Ginger family. It can be used fresh or boiled and dried to be used as a powder.

Fresh or powdered Turmeric can be used

• to spice vegetables
• to marinate fish/chicken/meat (increases shelf life in addition to adding flavor)
• in pickles
• to make masalas (add to other spices like Garam masala) which can be used ubiquitously in different dishes

Turmeric leaves

Turmeric leaves are used as aromatic herbs in Indian, Thai and Malaysian cooking. I hear fish steamed/baked in Turmeric Leaves is a particular delicacy.

Health & Nutrition

Turmeric is used widely in Ayurvedic medicine. It has curcumin, which is a powerful antioxidant. It is also anti-inflammatory. Turmeric is also known to be anti-septic, anti-bacterial and anti-flatulant. “Early laboratory studies have been suggestive that turmeric is liver protective, anti-depressant, anti-retroviral effects.”

For sore throats, mix 1 tsp turmeric in 1 cup of hot milk and drink at night. For minor pain, you’ll get immediate relief. For worse infections, have it for a couple of nights in a row.

Turmeric is also good for the skin for eczema and wound healing.

Here’s a good natural facepack which your skin will thank you for (tried personally numerous times over the years!):

1 tbsp gram flour

a pinch of turmeric powder

1 tsp honey

1 tsp milk/water

Mix the above to make a paste and apply to the face. Keep for 15minutes or until the paste feels dry to the hand. Wash off and feel the smoothness and glow on your face. Let me know whether you like it!

Health Alert!

Turmeric is generally considered safe when taken in small amounts. (Indian food usually does not contain more than 1 tsp per person per day.) Avoid taking large amounts (medicinal amounts/tablets) without doctor’s consultation.

Question for you!

Which ingredient has always made you curious? Leave a comment!

Image Sources:

Fresh Turmeric, Dry Turmeric, Turmeric Plant

Tomatoes

A wicker basket filled with fresh plum tomatoes. Photo Credit Diana Taliun/iStock/Getty Images

Bright, red, plump, fresh, juicy tomatoes. Picture perfect.

Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Or something else?

Eat ‘em raw or eat ‘em cooked,

Turn ‘em into salads and you’ll be hooked!

Wow! That was impromptu Poetry.. (I swear)!

But basically, tomatoes are delicious whichever way you prefer them. Scientifically, they are a fruit.

Like onions, tomatoes are another basic in cooking. They are versatile. Use them in:

Salads

Chutneys

Sauces

Curries

Nostalgic Anecdote:

If you’ve read about me here, you would know that I used to be one huge Enid Blyton fan. And if you’ve read Enid Blyton’s books, especially Famous Five, you would know how much the five used to eat all the time - breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner! Every time there was a mention of food, my mouth would salivate (even though I am a vegetarian!). For the poor souls unaware of Ms. Blyton’s gastronomic descriptions, here’s an abstract from “Five Go Down to the Sea”:

The high tea that awaited them was truly magnificent. A huge ham gleaming as pink as Timmy’s tongue; a salad fit for a king. In fact, as Dick said, fit for several kings, it was so enormous. It had in it everything that anyone could possibly want. “Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, radishes, mustard and cress, carrot grated up – that is carrot, isn’t it, Mrs. Penruthlan?” said Dick. “And lashings of hard-boiled eggs.” There was an enormous tureen of new potatoes, all gleaming with melted butter, scattered with parsley. There was a big bottle of home-made salad cream. “Look at that cream cheese, too,” marvelled Dick, quite overcome. “And that fruit cake. And are those drop-scones, or what? Are we supposed to have something of everything, Mrs Penruthlan?”

This article from theguardian or this one gives a spectacular insight into the Five’s diet! 

I am deviating from the topic, aren’t I? Sigh! I am actually ravenous after reading all that!

Sooo… tomatoes! Tomatoes always, always remind me of a hearty Famous Five breakfast.

Aha.. how do tomatoes fare nutrition-wise?

Good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese. More info here.

Who should not eat?

As I mentioned in my onion post, onions and tomatoes don’t tune well with gastroesophageal reflux disease (Acid Reflux) patients. If you are prone to acidity, you should definitely avoid eating tomatoes because they are naturally high in acid content and can cause the stomach acid to regurgitate and cause a burning feeling.

Also, canned tomatoes (a common sight in today’s households) have a very high content of sodium compared to fresh tomatoes. High sodium increases risk of Osteoporosis (weak bones). Also avoid canned tomatoes if you are a heart patient or suffer from high blood pressure.

And as always, I urge you to please decrease your dependence on processed foods and eat as much fresh produce as possible and slowly aim towards eliminating processed foods from your diets!

On that note, Eat fresh tomatoes and stay healthy (not you GERD people – you don’t eat ‘em)!

FoodieSense

Welcome to FoodieSense!

This is the world of food and health and no surprises here, about healthy food!

What will you get here?
Ingredients - know their nutritive value and interesting information. Like onions and why do onions make you cry?
Recipes - to whip up some delicious food!

You might be curious about who the heck I am? or just know the inspiration behind this blog!

Hope this blog serves you well! Read on! :)

Suggestions are wholeheartedly welcome.
Leave a comment or drop me a note at foodiesenseblog [dot] gmail [dot] com

Onions

Where would we be without onions?

Onions have been used in cooking for ages. They take the simplest of dishes to new heights. They add a depth of flavor to any recipe. They are great in salads and cooked dishes alike.

Add them raw to your salad, serve them solo with a dash of lemon or fry them up to make a tasty veggie or pasta. The uses are endless.

Few of my favorite dishes with onion

Chole Fry some onion, tomatoes and garlic. Add garbanzo beans to make this delicious earthy recipe. Serve with roti/naan/bread/rice + sliced onion with some lemon juice

Pasta Fry some sliced onion in oil to bring out their sweet flavor and add to your pasta/pasta sauce

Raita chopped onions, tomatoes and yogurt. Season with salt, pepper and some sugar

Where does onion stand nutrition wise?

Low in calories,

Low in sodium and

Zero in fats.

Great sources of Vitamin C, folate (B complex Vitamin) and dietary fiber.

Onions are also said to have quercetin, a flavonoid (antioxidant compound).

Awesome! That helps keep us young!

Onions contain phytochemicals - anticancer and antimicrobial!

Why do onions make you cry?

When you cut an onion, some enzymes (concentrated in the onion root) convert amino acids sulfoxides of the onion into sulfenic acid which gets released as Syn-propanethial-S-oxide and irritate the eyes. 
Tip: Try to keep the onion root intact till the end and you might cry lesser! Something that I am still trying to achieve.

So what kind of onions can we get in the market? 

Yellow Onions

Yellow onions have golden skin and yellow flesh. They are all-purpose onions and can be used in all kinds of cooking.

Red Onions

Red onions are milder in taste and the layers have a purple tinge

White Onions

White onions have a white papery skin and white flesh. They are wonderful when eaten raw. Great in salads.

Spring Onions

These are young onions, harvested before they mature. The leaves are green. Both the onion bulb and greens are used in salads and to prepare veggies.

Who produces onions?

Onions are predominantly Asian. Largest producers are China, India, United States, Turkey, and Pakistan.

Who shouldn’t eat onion?

Although onions are great sources of Vitamin C and dietary fiber, they also have certain ill-effects (conditions apply!).

Monitor your body’s response when you eat onions. If you are suffering from GERD/Acid Reflux (Heartburns), onions might be causing you more harm than good.

Onions in such cases create an imbalance in the stomach’s alkaline-acid balance (ideal is said to be 4:1 ratio) and disturb the pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (food pipe) which is responsible for keeping the stuff in your tummy from not going back up!

That seems to be the science behind acidity. If that was too much for you, you don’t need to worry about what goes on inside your body. Just think whether you had onions (or tomatoes!*) earlier in the day whenever you suffer from acidity. And voila! You might just find the cause and prevent it in the future. You can thank me later! J

*Since we touched upon Acid Reflux, my next post would be on Tomatoes – another major cause of worry in Heartburn sufferers :(

Information sources: This paper on National Center for Biotechnology Information, this site, and BBCGoodFood

Image source: header, plant