# Cooking with turmeric **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 23, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672 "2024-11-23T17:11:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/1 "2024-11-23T17:11:33Z")
We have turmeric in the cupboard, but I rarely use it. Sometimes I’ll bake chicken tenderloins with kosher salt and turmeric. Served with broccoli, it’s a quick and easy meal. I’ve just found this recipe: > **[Baked Turmeric Salmon](https://www.theroastedroot.net/baked-turmeric-salmon/)** > > Turmeric Salmon is the easiest superfood dinner recipe you'll ever make! Anti-inflammatory, immunity-boosting, loaded with omega 3 fats That looks good. It’s like the chicken, but it adds oil (I’d use olive oil instead of avocado oil), garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper to the salt and turmeric. It might make a nice change from Trader Joe’s Salmon Pinwheels, Costco Salmon Milano with Basil Pesto Butter, or Salmon with fresh rosemary sprigs and lemon slices. What things do _you_ make with turmeric? ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/2 "2024-11-23T17:37:20Z")
I think turmeric goes particularly well with cabbage and other cruciferous veg. A stir-fry of cabbage, potatoes and onions, well-seasoned with turmeric, is really good. Likewise, it goes well in a vegetable soup if the soup contains a lot of cabbage or broccoli or rutabaga. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/3 "2024-11-23T17:40:49Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > I think turmeric goes particularly well with cabbage and other cruciferous veg. I’ll have to try it on the broccoli. I usually only have cabbage when I make corned beef and cabbage (either with a slow-cooked brisket, or a quick meal using a tin of corned beef). How would the turmeric taste with that? Oh, the other time I use cabbage is when I make fish tacos. In that case, I make a [fish taco sauce](https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/fish-taco-sauce/). ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/4 "2024-11-23T18:52:08Z")
I make a lot of from-scratch curries (i.e., not using the generic “curry powder”). Turmeric is a common addition to the spice blend. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/5 "2024-11-23T19:15:41Z")
Yep, most curry powder will have turmeric as an ingredient. I cook with turmeric all the time, because I make curries a lot as well. Another good thing to make with turmeric is Thai chicken satay. It was one of the few things our kids would eat at a Thai restaurant when they were younger, so my wife and I started making it at home. The turmeric coconut milk marinade is so good that, instead of getting rid of it after the chicken was done marinating, I’d boil it well for 5 or 10 minutes and drizzle it over rice. > **[Easy Chicken Satay with "Real" Peanut Sauce](https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/chicken-satay/)** > > Skip the skewering and make chicken satay instantly weeknight friendly. The no-peanut-butter satay sauce recipe is the real deal. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/6 "2024-11-23T19:22:13Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Yep, most curry powder will have turmeric as an ingredient. Change that to “all”, for accuracy. It’s what gives curry powder (always a blend) it’s yellow color. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/7 "2024-11-23T19:24:52Z")
The key to falling in love with turmeric is to toast it before you add it to your recipe. Just put a bit of oil in a frying pan and then add a couple of tablespoons of turmeric. Fry on medium-high heat until it gets toasty and smells nutty. Now add to almost anything for an amazing flavor bomb. Goes especially well with lemon or tomato. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/8 "2024-11-23T19:30:07Z")
A long time ago I stumbled on a fantastic scrambled egg seasoning: mix equal parts ground turmeric, freshly ground nutmeg, and powdered galangal (aka “Laos powder”). Use one generous pinch of this spice mix for each egg you are scrambling, plus salt to taste. Only make the mix in small quantities, as you want to use it up before the nutmeg loses its oomph. I use fresh turmeric (we grow it in our yard) for a Malaysian rendang (spicy beef stew) recipe. The fresh stuff is a revelation! Despite living in Indonesia for many years, where it was easy to buy the root fresh in the grocery, I never tried it until recently. I’m not the smoothie-making sort myself, but if I were, I would definitely use plenty of fresh turmeric. It’s pleasingly aromatic in a way the dried stuff can’t match. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/9 "2024-11-23T19:35:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Yep, most curry powder will have turmeric as an ingredient. > > Change that to “all”, for accuracy. It’s what gives curry powder (always a blend) it’s yellow color. Well, I almost said ‘all’, but I’ve learned to avoid absolutes here. I’d be afraid if I said ‘all curry powder’ someone would chime in with something like “not true! Curries from the Kerala region of India contain no turmeric” 😝 (Just as an example- I have no idea about the specific nature of curry from Kerala) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/10 "2024-11-23T19:50:34Z")
> [@solost](#): > > [Easy Thai Chicken Satay and The Real Peanut Sauce](https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/chicken-satay/) Bookmarked. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/11 "2024-11-23T20:13:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It’s what gives curry powder (always a blend) it’s yellow color. I understand @solost’s caution though. I am partial to Cambodian curry powder, which (like most curry flavors I’ve encountered throughout SE Asia) has a different flavor profile, featuring a star anise/fennel taste rather than the cumin-cardamom emphasis I associate with Indian curries. The Cambodian stuff I use is brownish, not yellow. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t contain turmeric (but [at least one version does](https://www.angkorfood.com/herbs-and-spices/cambodian-curry-powder.html?srsltid=AfmBOorqEuT4C58-J1uBFsadUAeeDkogSjpWa1C_K8gEtF94qJTPW8xK)). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/12 "2024-11-23T20:35:34Z")
I’ve been using fresh turmeric for rice for the past few months after I bought a fistful on a whim. They’re each about half a finger in size and I microplane one into a cup of dry rice before steaming. The color change is amazing, it looks for all the world like carrot until it’s cooked when it’s just as yellow as can be. Flavor? I’m not sure but it’s certainly mild. I’ve just been keeping the little turmerics on the counter and they’re showing their age a bit, a little dried out. ---
**Author:** ![anny\_m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@anny\_m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anny_m)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/13 "2024-11-23T20:46:43Z")
Turmeric is a key ingredient in the recipe I use for Bread & Butter Pickles. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/14 "2024-11-23T20:47:51Z")
If anybody remembers Screaming Yellow Zonkers (a brand of candied popcorn), the day-glo screaming yellow color was turmeric. Fun with pH indicators: Alkali turns it red, the shade of dried blood. Experiment with soaking a paper towel in wet turmeric and let it dry. Titrate drops of baking soda solution onto the center of it and make an expanding red area. Now titrate drops of vinegar into the center of the red spot. It’ll fizz. What’ll happen to the color? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/15 "2024-11-23T22:13:16Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Well, I almost said ‘all’, but I’ve learned to avoid absolutes here. 😆 Yeah, I’ve burned my toast here as well. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > The Cambodian stuff I use is brownish, not yellow. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t contain turmeric (but [at least one version does](https://www.angkorfood.com/herbs-and-spices/cambodian-curry-powder.html?srsltid=AfmBOorqEuT4C58-J1uBFsadUAeeDkogSjpWa1C_K8gEtF94qJTPW8xK)). Or perhaps just a smaller amount. Where do you buy that? I’m a big fan of fennel. Edit: [I found it online](https://www.angkorfood.com/herbs-and-spices/cambodian-curry-powder.html) and it does contain turmeric. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/16 "2024-11-23T23:09:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Where do you buy that? In Cambodia from the local shops (it helps to have connections that travel there) so I don’t know if the brand that we both linked to tastes as good. But I see it includes fennel and star anise, so that’s promising. It’s redder than the stuff I’ve had, though. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/17 "2024-11-24T02:41:29Z")
I make a riff on shakshuka with it - Persian eggs with spiced beef and tomatoes. [This recipe is similar](https://www.vice.com/en/article/spiced-beef-with-eggs-and-spring-onions-vaavishkaa/). ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/18 "2024-11-24T02:47:52Z")
I personally dislike (not hate, but dislike) turmeric, but my wife uses it a good bit in a couple of things. Vegan cheese - mostly as a coloring agent. Vindaloos (insert Red Dwarf reference!) Morning herbal/spice drink - turmeric, ginger, who cloves, lemon juice as a hot-water infusion. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/19 "2024-11-24T04:37:35Z")
I use it in chicken/turkey noodle soup, and as a major ingredient in my pickled egg spice mixture. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672/20 "2024-11-24T04:49:21Z")
I put it into oatmeal once. It was actually good, but oatmeal is usually when I want comfort food [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-turmeric/1010672.md?page=2)