"turmeric" news and stories

Curry powder is actually a mix of spices -- most of which you may have at home.

I've always touted the health benefits of spices. Now a new and exciting study indicates that turmeric is indeed packed full of them. It's being evaluated for its ability to soothe skin disorders like psoriasis, calm the nervous system and PMS, and even fight cancer because of its active ingredient, curcumin, which works as a powerful anti-inflammatory.

So how can you get more of it into your daily diet? Turmeric has a stringent tart flavor and it's the spice that gives curry powder its characteristic bright yellow color. However, using it in small amounts in your favorite recipes is easy since it comes in powder form. Add a teaspoon the next time you make chili or sprinkle some on a fresh mango with a squeeze of lime, then throw it it on the grill. Or, this weekend, have a movie night and served spiced popcorn.

Get Jennifer's Spiced Popcorn recipe after the jump.

I know we're hearing a lot about this kind of thing lately. I, for one, think that isn't a bad thing. This post from Remedicated about 20 common cooking herbs with medicinal properties collects a lot of disparate information and puts it in one place.

Some of the herbs are well known to have medicinal uses, like turmeric and cloves, but did you know that onions (and other vegetables related to onions) have been used for centuries as medicines? Apparently they have anti-inflammatory properties. Also, rosemary, cinnamon, and parsley (great for detoxifying carcinogens from cigarette smoke) are just some of the surprising (to me) herbs on the list.

There is no way this list can be complete, though. If you study a natural product long enough, you're sure to find lots of healthy qualities. Does anyone have any herbs they'd like to add? If you disagree with this list, I'd love to read about that, too.

I've been in an Indian state of mind all day, having picked up some tasty-looking tandoori naan at the store today, and trying to figure out what I want to make with it. Unfortunately, I haven't made too many Indian dishes from scratch, save butter chicken long ago and some recent tasty pakora. Luckily, there's a cooking show that details all sorts of Indian dishes -- Show Me the Curry.

In this episode, Anuja and Hetal make Aloo Matar, a simple dish of spices, potatoes, and peas. This is a recipe that they consider to be one of the easiest Indian dishes to make -- and it's definitely a great way to get into the wonders of ingredients like turmeric and chaat masala.

Also be sure to check out their guides for stocking your pantry, as well as their tasty-looking raita recipes.

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