Discover
Turmeric
| Greetings from White Jasmine! |
| Welcome
to another fabulous issue of the White Jasmine quarterly
newsletter. The idea of White Jasmine was first born
when I started teaching cooking classes in Madison,
Wisconsin and realized that most people even in the
Midwest enjoy spices and are willing to experiment
with them. The only problem is that I found that they
don’t know how to incorporate these unique spices
into their daily cooking. Frequently during my classes
and cooking shows we have some wonderful and interesting
discussions about a variety of spices. |
| Today
I want to talk about Turmeric (Ter-meric), which is
one of the main spices used in Pakistani/Indian curries.
The infamous yellow color in curries is reflected from
this beautiful spice. Personally, I am very fond of
Turmeric because it adds color and flavor to many dishes.
Turmeric is generously used in most of my recipes especially
in rice and lentil dishes, the gorgeous yellow color
and distinct flavor is out of this world. If you have
seen my cooking shows or have been to my classes, you
know how I feel about colors and flavors of the dishes
I prepare. My philosophy is that the food has to look
beautiful and smell great for someone to even be tempted
to try it, why would anyone want to try ugly looking
food? |
| Over
the past several years, there has been an increasing
interest in Turmeric and its medicinal properties.
Here are some facts about Turmeric (Curcuma longa).
This flowering plant of the ginger family is widely
used as food coloring and is one of the principal ingredients
in curry powder. Turmeric has long been used in both
Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory
to treat digestive disorders, liver problems, the treatment
of skin diseases and wound healing. So in other words,
Turmeric doesn’t only appeal to the senses but
also provides great health benefits. |
| Attached
is a recipe of Palak Dal, which are yellow lentils
cooked with fresh spinach. This is one of the many
popular dishes in my family and makes great comfort
food. |
| I
hope you are inspired to try the attached recipe and
Turmeric itself in some of your own recipes. Have a
great spring and remember it is your kitchen;
you can do whatever you like! |
Huma
Siddiqui
President |
Palak
Dal-Lentils with Spinach
1 cup Moong Dal-yellow lentils
1 pound fresh spinach, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups warm water |
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| Wash
the lentils thoroughly, add warm water and bring
to a boil. Add all spices and let it cook on medium
heat for about 20 minutes. Add chopped spinach and
cook for another 15 minutes. Heat oil in a frying
pan, add onions and fry until golden brown. Add the
fried onions to the lentils and serve warm with plain
rice. |
| Serves 4 people |
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| Upcoming
2007 Events and Classes |
| |
Whole
Foods Market Cooking Classes
Madison, WI
Wednesday, Apr 25 6–8:30 pm
Wednesday, May 16 6–8:30 pm
Thursday, May 24 6–8:30 pm |
Savory Spoon Cooking Class
Ellison Bay, WI
Thu, July 12, 2007 |
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White
Jasmine, LLC • info@whitejasmine.com
Toll Free: 866-774-2995 • Voice: 608-437-1250 • Fax:
608-437-1247 |
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