Why Peppery-Sweet Turmeric Is Showing Up Everywhere

The first time I ever remember eating turmeric was in an "egg" salad—i.e. mashed tofu, one of my mother's Moosewood-inspired favorites from the 70s. Of course, before my mother was tinting tofu with it, turmeric was beloved for its peppery sweetness and incredible color, its place in Indian (and Persian, among other) cuisines, and its health-buzz roots deeply planted in Ayurvedic medicine.

In 2016, the first things that come up when you Google "turmeric" are not recipes, but health benefits. It's anti-inflammatory! Depression-relieving! May fight drug-resistant tuberculosis! This is all the stuff that makes something buzzy, a "superfood" or a "hot ingredient."

17 Flavor-Packed Ways to Use Turmeric—Fresh or Ground

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But the rhizome's real draws, in its fresh and its powdered forms, are its peppery flavor, which runs its fingers along the back of your throat, and its gold flesh, so intensely colored it's like someone bumped the saturation on it waaaay up. It brings that color to everything it touches, including your hands and dinnerware.

Lentil Meatballs with Indian Fenugreek Sauce

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Meen Moiley

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Turmeric has swung from from the more traditional dals and grain dishes and soups to vegetariana and the world of juicing and beyond. In levels not quite at "avocado toast" or "smoothie bowl," it's showing up all over the internet and on restaurant menus—in juices, yes, but also in sweet and savory oatmeals, turmeric tea (turmeric root steeped with lemon and honey in hot water, sometimes with ginger root and/or black pepper, too), in pre-blended and bottled (or homemade) turmeric honey, in "golden milk," a warmed blend of milk (or alt-milk), turmeric, cinnamon, and honey.

And in vinegary "ciders," salad dressings, pickles, smoothies, tossed with roasted vegetables, added to curry pastes, and sprinkled onto popcorn. And even in doughnuts! Turmeric is popping up all over our (Not)Recipe app.

Psst: If you haven't downloaded the app yet, right this way.

Nigella Lawson about 8 years ago

42

Tear or cut a head of cauliflower into smallish florets. put 2 teasps ground turmeric into a large bowl, along with a teaspoon of sea salt flakes (I use Maldon), half a teasp each ground cinnamon and chile powder and mix to a runny paste with oil. Add the cauliflower florets and - wearing CSI gloves - toss everything together to coat the florets. Tip the golden cauliflower into a shallow tray and roast for 20-30 mins in a hot oven. Turn into a non-porous bowl (otherwise it will be forever stained by the turmeric as mine unfortunately now is) and scatter with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.

4 comments

Mary Reagan Harvey about 8 years ago

20

Turmeric + Early Grey donuts with a cherry glaze. Used a classic cake donut recipe but steeped the tea in the milk and added turmeric and nutmeg to the mix. Top with toasted almonds for the perfect amount of crunch! Perfect alongside a strong cup of black tea or black coffee.

Sarah about 8 years ago

8

Pick me up soup
Chicken broth to broil with 1/2 onion, garlic, thyme, turmeric and a pinch of salt&pepper
Add a cup of quinoa to cook
Stir in chopped collard greens for 5 minutes
At the last minute, throw in spinach leaves
A dose of lemon juice
Feel better

Nancy Partington about 8 years ago

199

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl combine 1 small cauliflower cut into florets, 2-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed), 1 small onion sliced, 1 sliced jalapeño, a few unpeeled garlic cloves. Add a glug of olive oil, pinch each of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, kosher salt, black pepper. Transfer to baking sheet and roast until crispy and browned, about 25 min, stirring halfway through. Make a sauce by whisking together a few spoonfuls each of Greek yogurt and tahini with juice of 1-2 lemon and pinch of salt. Serve veggies over grain of your choice drizzled with tahini sauce. #notrecipe #notrecipes

6 comments

Kristy Mucci about 8 years ago

6

Afternoon tisane: lemon verbena, tulsi basil, fresh turmeric. All from the greenmarket.

How are you using (and seeing, and eating) turmeric? Do you prefer fresh or ground? Tell us in the comments.

Download our brand-new (Not)Recipes app for iOS and get even more recipe-less cooking inspiration—turmeric-hued and otherwise.