Darina Allen: Three recipes to try for turmeric's health benefits, including magic turmeric sauce

A 2021 meta-analysis found curcumin effective in reducing inflammation and lessening pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

This week, an ode to turmeric. I’ve become somewhat obsessed by the golden spice as turmeric is referred to in India and other southeast Asian countries.

The vibrant orange spice comes in fresh and powder form, has a myriad of culinary and medicinal uses and is an essential component in many religious ceremonies and rituals.

Turmeric gives curry powders and many mustards their distinctive colour. It’s also used as a preservative.

Recently, I’ve been digging deeper into the growing body of research relating to its health-giving properties.

Turmeric has been revered in India for over 4,000 years and is a mainstay of the Ayurveda as well as traditional Chinese medicine.

Its health benefits are being extensively studied by scientists. Turmeric may be one of the most potent anti-inflammatory compounds known to humanity. Preliminary evidence suggests that it reduces the risk of just about every major chronic condition.

How about that?

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, the culinary and medicinal part of the plant is the rhizome that grows underground. Think ginger root but skinnier and bright orange inside with a slightly bitter, pungent taste. In India, the fresh leaves are used to wrap fresh fish before cooking.

You can grow it yourself, but fresh turmeric is widely available nowadays, at good supermarkets, health food shops and some farmers markets.

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, acts as an antioxidant and appears to have powerful disease-fighting properties.

A 2021 meta-analysis found curcumin effective in reducing inflammation and lessening pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Research also indicates that turmeric protects against several gastrointestinal diseases and acid reflux. It offers great promise in treating type 2 diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and last, but not least, a growing body of research indicates that curcumin inhibits cellular growth in several cancers.

I am not a medic, but all of that is certainly enough to convince me that adding a little turmeric to my diet particularly in fresh organic form could be a good idea.

Turmeric powder is even more accessible, but a word of caution, turmeric spice from Bangladesh and India sometimes contains lead chromate which enhances the spice’s appearance making it a more vibrant shade of orangey yellow. Lead is a dangerous poison and there is no safe level. So once again, I stress buy organic when you can.

A final thought worth knowing.

When we add black pepper to dishes that include turmeric, our systems can absorb up to 20 times more curcumin. While curcumin isn’t very water-soluble, eating it with good fat or in combination with coconut milk, vegetable oil or ghee as in traditional Indian dishes also enhances the absorption.

A few of my favourite recipes to tempt you to get started …

Parsnip Gratin with Turmeric & Cumin

recipe by:Darina Allen

A super way to eat your parsnips in this golden, lightly-spiced gratin. The cooking time can be speeded up by heating the cream and spices before adding to the gratin.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 16 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 31 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1.1kg parsnips

• 800g potato

• flaky salt and freshly

• ground pepper

• 10g butter for greasing dish

• 600ml cream

• Half tsp turmeric

• Half tsp toasted and ground cumin

• Quarter tsp of cayenne

• 75g freshly grated Parmesan

• 20.5cm x 31cm ovenproof gratin dish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

2. Scrub the parsnips and potatoes. Peel, top and tail the parsnips and halve across the middle, cut into 7.5cm lengths. Peel the potatoes. Using a mandolin with a guard, slice the parsnips and potato into 5mm slices.

3. Butter the gratin dish, arrange a layer of parsnips on the base, lightly season. Add a layer of potato followed by another layer of parsnip, then another layer of potato, finishing with a layer of parsnip. Season lightly between each layer otherwise the gratin will be bland. Whisk together the cream, turmeric, cumin and cayenne in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream mixture over the top and sprinkle with the freshly grated Parmesan.

4. Put the gratin into the heated oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

5. After 45 minutes when the gratin is well-coloured, lay a sheet of parchment paper loosely on top to prevent further browning if needed.

6. Bake for another 30 minutes until fully cooked. Check with a skewer, there should be no resistance from the vegetables.

7. Serve as a vegetable or a supper dish with a salad of organic leaves.

Rory O’Connell’s Chicken & Lentil Curry

recipe by:Darina Allen

This flavoursome dish can be prepared ahead of time and gently reheated when needed.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 250g red split lentils

• 75g finely chopped onion

• 1 hot green chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced

• 2 tsp of cumin seeds, toasted and ground

• 1 level tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1.5lt water

• 1.35kg skinned chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs)

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds

• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• Quarter tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tbsp lemon juice or to taste

• Quarter tsp garam masala

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Placed the lentils, onion, chilli, ground cumin, turmeric, half of the ginger and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place a lid on top, very slightly ajar, and cook at a bare simmer for 45 minutes.

2. Add the chicken and a good pinch of salt and return to a simmer.

3. Cover as before and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Keep an eye on what is happening in the saucepan as it may be necessary to stir with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon every now and then.

4. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and when hot add the cumin seeds.

5. They will sizzle straight away so be ready to add the remaining ginger and garlic. Cook until the garlic turns golden brown. Add the cayenne and swirl to mix andimmediately add the contents of the frying pan to the chicken and lentils.

6. Now add the lemon juice and garammasala, stir and cook at a simmer for another five minutes.

7. Taste and correct seasoning. Scatter the coriander over the dish just before serving.

Magic Turmeric Sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

This gem of a recipe was given to me by Annabel Partridge and Eloise Schwerdt. It may well become your favourite standby sauce.

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 200g ripe cherry tomatoes (about 16)

• Maldon sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tsp red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp coriander seeds

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 250g crème fraiche

• 1.5 tsp turmeric

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 to 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp chopped dill

• 1 tbsp chopped mint

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.

2. Put the tomatoes in a low-sided roasting tin, season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Toss gently to coat and roast in the heated oven for 20-25 minutes until soft and slightly caramelised.

3. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds together in a pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until they begin to smell spicy. Pound the toasted spices in a pestle and mortar.

4. Remove half from the pestle and mortar. Add a couple of cloves of garlic and some salt to the toasted seeds remaining in the pestle and mortar. Pound half the cooled roasted tomatoes, add the garlic, pound again, then add the crème fraîche or yoghurt and the turmeric. Add the extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard and the honey. Add the chopped dill and mint.

5. Stir the rest of the tomatoes and juices, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust the balance of flavours to your taste (you may need to add the remainder of the spices).

Seasonal Journal

Book recommendation

Look out for Beyond Sustenance: An Exploration of Food and Drink Culture in Ireland by Brian J Murphy. It is an important contribution to understanding our culinary journey in Ireland from a time when food was regarded merely as sustenance. As a nation, we have grown in confidence. Up to relatively recently, we had a serious inferiority complex in Ireland, not just about our food and food culture. Brian, through various prisms, documents the growing pride in our tradition, the quality of our produce and the growing creativity of our chefs. At last, we appreciate what we have and serve our Irish food proudly. Brian is a senior lecturer in the school of culinary arts and food technology in Technological University Dublin.

Where do I find organic turmeric?

Lots of places sell organic turmeric but check out Organic Republic at Mahon Point Farmers Market on Thursdays and Midleton Farmers Markets on Saturdays. (They also deliver boxes of organic fruit and vegetables in Cork city and suburbs and surrounding areas on a weekly basis.) See organicrepublic.ie or call Catriona on 086 3623918