Meals that Heal - Try turmeric

Source :The Hindu:Chandrassekaran V K: sep 4:2011

Lentils are invariably cooked with a dash of turmeric.

Make a nutritious soup combining lentils and pomegranate

Turmeric has so many medicinal properties, it is a wonder we still consider it an everyday kitchen spice rather than a herbal sensation.


 It has been used in traditional Indian medicine for centuries, as a home remedy for sprains, swellings and wounds and to treat stomach ailments and infections
.

In ancient India, all ayurvedic physicians used turmeric (haldi) to treat injuries and wounds. It is such an efficient antibiotic that it not only kills dangerous bacteria in the human intestine when it's cooked with food, but it can also neutralise parasites when applied as a paste on wounds.

 And adding haldi to dals is a simple way to allow the body to digest dal better; most dals are difficult to digest and cause gas.

Recently, Austrian scientists reported that haldi protects against liver damage 

 that eventually causes cirrhosis. Curcumin, the active ingredient that gives turmeric its characteristic yellow colour, reduces inflammation that causes liver cell damage, blockage and scarring in eight short weeks, reported Gut, a British medical journal.

Turmeric has been used since ancient times to boost the body's immune response.

 In fact, it is one of the few spices allowed in khichidi for babies above six months of age.

 In 2007, U.S. researchers reported that curcumin helped stimulate immune cells among people who had Alzheimer's, slowing the progression of the degenerative disease. 

Later that year, Clinical Cancer Research reported that curcumin effectively blocked the activity of a gastrointestinal hormone implicated in the development of colorectal cancer.

Its anti-inflammatory properties were not only found to relieve the aches and pains of arthritis, but also prevent it, said a study in Arthritis and Rheumatism, the American College of Rheumatology journal. International studies have also shown it suppresses cancer tumours and that people who ingest a lot of turmeric are less prone to the disease.

So how do you include turmeric in your diet?

 Here's how: Add it to dals and vegetables. Add it to milk for children along with jaggery. Add it to rice or atta dough, stews and soups, especially if you have runny stools or any infection. Add it to milk if you have bruises and internal injuries.

Now, for a recipe.

Pomegranate and Lentil Soup

Ingredients

Lentils (gram dal): 120 gm

Butter: 3 tbsp

Onion, diced: 1 (medium-sized)

Garlic, minced: 2 cloves

Water: 400 ml

Long-grain rice: 50 gm

Turmeric: 1 tsp

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh basil, chopped: 30 gm

Green onions, chopped: 30 gm

Pomegranate juice: 80ml

Chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons of crushed dried leaf mint: 2 tbsp

Raisins: 2 tbsp

Method: Rinse lentils several times. Set aside to drain. Melt 2btsp of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and toss to coat. Gently sauté onions until soft, for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and sauté for two additional minutes.

Add water, drained lentils, rice, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 45 minutes, until lentils and rice are tender. Add basil, green onions, and pomegranate juice to the soup. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the rest of the butter in a small skillet, add mint and sauté until the butter turns golden. Divide the soup into serving bowls. Drizzle each with the browned butter and sprinkle with a few raisins to serve.

Executive Chef

Vivanta by Taj – Connemara

Binny Road

Keywords: medicinal food, health food, turmeric