By Dr. Emma Norton, ND
Dr. Norton is a Naturopathic Physician practicing at Salud Integrative Health in Farmington.
Tumeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice found in Indian cooking, used both for its flavor and vibrant color. You will find it in many Indian recipes, including those for curry. It is native to India and Southeast Asia and is in the same family as ginger. Traditional medicinal uses of turmeric include protecting the liver from toxins, aiding in the digestive process, treating stomach ulcers and abdominal pain and as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and blood purifier.
Curcumin is the pigmented flavanoid that gives turmeric its golden color and which is used as a cosmetic and dye in India. Curcumin was discovered over two hundred years ago as the constituent of the rhizome that gives turmeric its color, but it was not until the middle of the twentieth century that its specific actions began to be studied, first as an agent to kill off different strains of bacteria. Then it was found to have a whole host of actions, including activity against cancer cells, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar as well as showing anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Read more about turmeric at http://saludintegrative.com/cooking-with-tumeric-to-ease-pain and be sure to give the recipe below a try!
Lightly Spiced Tomato Soup
(from Sundays at Moosewood Restauarant)
This recipe is great for someone just new to spices like tumeric and cumin — definitely not overpowering or too spicy. Serve chilled in hot weather; hot in chilly weather
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 T vegetable oil
1 small chile, seeded and minced (or pinch cayenne pepper)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground clove
6 cups tomato juice (46 oz can)
1 cup water of vegetable stock
Directions
In a small pot, saute the onion until translucent. Add the chile and spices and saute for one more minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomato juice and water (or vegetable stock) and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with a spoonful of plain yogurt and poppadums (lentil wafers) on the side. If serving hot add one cup of brown rice during simmer.
