Month
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
  • Days
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • Return to Posts

    Turmeric-mania

    Posted on 09/01/07
    In the vein of Gingerama and Paprika-thon, I bring you Turmeric-mania, a month-long tribute to the spice most commonly known as a key ingredient in curry powder. Part of the ginger family, turmeric gives curry its bright yellow color, as well as a host of other food products such as prepared mustard, canned chicken broth, salad dressings, and cheeses.

    A few interesting tidbits: turmeric protects food products from sunlight and can also be used to deter ants. It is also used in sunscreen (primarily in India) and is an anti-scarring agent when combined with milk.

    Turmeric, sometimes referred to as the poor man's saffron, is primarily used in Eastern cooking, specifically Indian and Moroccan dishes. It has a bitter taste, with aromas of orange and ginger, it's close spice relative.

    Curry powder is a mixture of several spices, usually including turmeric along with coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, fennel seed, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, and/or mustard seed. Curry powder ingredients will vary depending on the brand, but I will be using yellow or "generic" curry in most cases to ensure turmeric is being included in the recipe. Red and green curries are also available, but usually do not include turmeric (hence, a different color depending on the ingredients).

    Both curry powder and turmeric have a strong, spicy flavor, so adjust recipes to suit your preferred level of heat in a dish. Most of my dishes will be fairly mild. Each recipe will include turmeric or a curry powder with turmeric in the ingredients. The catagory "Turmeric-mania" has been created, and recipes will be posted there as well as any other appropriate catagory. I am hoping for some Jenn Original Recipes, but I need to become familiar with the spices first, as I have not really cooked with curry powder or turmeric before.

    Stay tuned, this should be interesting!
    /arc/?ym=9&yp=300