What Is Turmeric Powder And How Do You Use It?

Turmeric has become popular due to its health benefits in recent years, but many people are still unsure of how to exploit its full potential in the kitchen. There are still many folks who don’t know how turmeric powder has long been used in the kitchen as a spice.

It’s a fantastic spice with a nice flavour and a plethora of uses. So this blog is going to be all about how to properly use turmeric powder in your regular cooking.

What Is Turmeric Powder?

The scientific name of turmeric is Curcuma longa. It comes from the ginger family and as such, it is a root ingredient. It looks similar to galangal and ginger, except it has an orange tint to it.

Turmeric is a vibrant yellow spice that is derived from this root. In Asia, it is popular as a dye and culinary colourant. It has also been used in Indian traditional medicine for thousands of years.

How Is It Made?

As mentioned, turmeric is a root of a plant that belongs to the ginger family, and in order to make it, the roots must first be picked and dried before they can be used. Once they are dried, they are ground finely, and then used in a variety of recipes from a large number of cuisines.

The Flavour of Turmeric

Turmeric has an earthy flavour and a strong odour. It also has a somewhat bitter, peppery flavour similar to that of mustard or horseradish, with a hint of ginger flavour.

More often than not, it is utilised for colouration rather than its taste. You probably won’t notice much of a difference in flavour if you leave it out of a recipe, but the food won’t be as golden as you’d want it to be.

Turmeric is also occasionally replaced with saffron for colouring purposes, however, saffron adds a certain bitterness that people wouldn’t want in their food, so turmeric is preferred.

What You Can Make With Turmeric 

Turmeric can enhance the richness and complexity of a variety of dishes. According to certain research, the health advantages of turmeric are enhanced especially when mixed with fat such as olive oil or coconut oil.

Here are a few dishes that go really well with turmeric.

1. Curry

Turmeric pairs nicely with curries since it has historically been a staple in India and South Asia. You’ll find turmeric in almost every Indian and Asian curry. People also like to add freshly grated turmeric root to their curries from time to time to give them a new, brighter flavour.

2. Chicken

The best way to have turmeric with chicken is to apply powdered turmeric over skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breasts before seasoning them with salt and pepper and roasting for a vivid colour that shines out against basmati rice or a herb salad. Turmeric can also be used to provide a mellow flavour to your chicken noodle soup broth, making it flavourful and healthy for when you’ve got the flu.

3. Smoothie

This may surprise a lot of people, but smoothies with turmeric in them taste great and come with the added health benefits as well.

Combine turmeric, vegan milk, mango cubes, and pineapple slices. Throw in some banana chunks, sprinkle some hemp, and give them a good whirl. 

The Right Powder for the Right Flavour

Not only is turmeric great to give your food a beautiful golden colour with a dash of extra flavour, but it comes with lots and lots of health benefits depending on how it is used or ingested. Feel free to spice up your dishes every now and then with turmeric.