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 rhizomes 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 (fennel), 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 cholesterols.
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 ! Turn to Turmeric.
The Author:
Inquisitive mom of two kids an optimist by nature who loves all forms of creativity and yearn to learn something about everything. Like to read, cook, travel and write. Writing on food and healthy-living are a few joys of my life. Sharing it with you all will certainly increase it to manifolds. I manage two blogs on food and healthy recipes;
http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com
