Saturday, July 24, 2010

Turmeric

When the wedding seson starts after 15 days, there will be great demand for the Turmeric. Hindu weddings start by ladies pounding the root of the turmeric tuber to get the yellow spice, which is used to give the bride a ceremonial beauty bath.
Curcuma longa , the common Turmeric is a part of Indian life. The spice is used in daily cooking. A spoonful of turmeric powder and sugar mixed in a glass of hot milk works wonders if you have cold or flu. Rice balls mixed with coconut and jaggery are wapped in the leaves of the Turmeric and steamed, to make a delicious dish.There is a city named Erode near my city which is known as the granary of turmeric.
There are many types of turmerics which grow in the rainforests of the Western Ghats. Some are endangered.

4 comments:

  1. Very interesting story. I have just harvested my turmeric and store the tubers in sand ready for planting in spring

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  2. I learnt from a doctor that taking turmeric and cinammon daily can actually slow the process of aging. I followed his advice for a couple of days and gradually I stopped. Ha ha...if I have continued his advice, I may have lesser lines on my face today! I love using turmeric in my cooking.

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  3. The lovely dish - in konkani cuisine - called patholi - is a favourite. They even put a turmeric leaf in the dish where rice is cooked in coconut milk and lends it a divine flavour.

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  4. I haven taken note of your recipe against the flu. I grow a big plot of turmeric, the leaves are so beautiful and the flowers too. I love to learn how these plants can be used in our daily life. I try to use as many as possible organic ingredients for my cooking. I only buy organic flour as I always bake my own bread. Here the turmeric leaves die down over winter and grow again late spring.

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