Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the spices that I use most when cooking. As a child I remember that there were two spices always at hand in our kitchen: the first was saffron and the second a bright yellow powder, which I later discovered was called turmeric or zard choobeh in Farsi, Whenever my mother, aunts or grandmother fried onions they would add turmeric to the pan. I find myself doing the same when frying onions as a base ingredient for almost all my meals. I recently read that the combination of turmeric and onions can help prevent colon cancer (something about a chemical reaction between the two). Turmeric has also been traditionally used for medicinal properties as an anti-inflammatory agent. Read more about the benefits of turmeric.

Its October here in the Netherlands. The weather has been getting wetter and colder by the day. After an afternoon spent riding around the city on my bike with only a flimsy umbrella to protect me from the rain, I decided I needed a hot soup to warm my body and soul back to life. I made red lentil soup and used turmeric as a base ingredient.

Red Lentil Soup

1 -3 tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil (for cooking purposes)

1 large onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (minced)

1 ½ tabled spoons of fresh ginger (grated)

2 teaspoons of Turmeric

1 teaspoon of Paprika

1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds

2 carrots (grated)

5-6 medium sized tomatoes (skinned and chopped)

1-½ cup red lentils

5-6 cups of chicken, beef or vegetable stock (I used chicken)

1-2 dried small dried chili peppers (optional and depending on how spicy you like it)

2 Bay Leaves

Sea Salt and Ground Pepper for taste

Greek Yogurt

Skinning the tomatoes:

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Boil water and pour over the tomatoes in the bowl until the tomatoes are covered in water. Let sit for 2 minutes. The tomato skins should start to become loose. One by one take the tomatoes out of the water, peel away the skin and chop.

The Soup:

In a non-stick saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and turmeric. Mix well and let cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger, paprika and cumin seeds and let cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mix well with other ingredients with wooden spoon (I always use a wooden spoon). Let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes. Add the stock, red lentils, bay leaves and dried chili peppers. Season with sea salt and ground pepper and stir. Bring to a boil; cover the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Serve in bowls with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt on top.

…

After dinner I relaxed with a recipe for a turmeric mask I found in the October 2010 edition of the Yoga Journal. My skin feels really soft and I am a happy girl.

Turmeric Mask:

Mix 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (I used the Greek yogurt from dinner) with 1/3 tablespoon honey and a pinch of turmeric. Spread over the face evenly and enjoy!