In The Beginning
The where of turmeric is a bit of a mystery. Some suggest South Asia. We know that Marco Polo found turmeric in China in 1280. The majority of turmeric today comes from India.
Turmeric, like ginger, is a rhizome plant, which means the plant sends roots outward and from these roots, plants appear. Bamboo is also a rhizome plant and a bugger to tear out of a lawn, but that’s another story.
Culinary Uses
Turmeric root is bright orange and covered with a thin brown skin. In appearance, it is very similar to ginger, with ginger being the larger of the two.
The powder is produced by boiling the root , peeling, drying and pulverizing to a powder the boiled goo. As with many spices in powder form, it loses potency over time.
Turmeric has been used by chef’s on a shoestring budget as a replacement for the orange color of saffron. A quick smell and taste would reveal this is folly, for after color, they bear no other similarity save geography.
Turmeric in high quantities, maybe by the heavy hand of the cook using ersatz saffron, leaves a mild metallic taste and a dry heat. Too much is just not pleasant.
In dry form it is a popular element in curry powders for it does provide that orange color and mixed with other spices, it’s own taste contribution can be mitigated by stronger spices.
The Persian Empire and Middle East cuisines use turmeric far more than the west “and looking no further than it’s colour, took it for another form of saffron and called it kourkoum.”
Cooking with turmeric is easy. “In India turmeric is always added at the beginning of the cooking process and sautéed [sic] with other aromatics such as onions, ginger and garlic. This allows the release of curcumin, which is fat soluble.”
Fresh turmeric can be grated just as ginger on a Microplane tool or the pokey side of a box grater. Fresh turmeric is surprisingly pungent, with even the slice of scraping the peel with the back of a knife reveals its aroma. It’s aroma is a bit complex, with upfront notes of warmth and flower and earth behind. Because fresh always requires more than dry, feel free to add freshly grated turmeric to sautéed vegetables or sweat it in oil to extract the color and flavor for simple cooked rice.
Magic In The Roots
The color alone is the prime reason so many cultures regarded turmeric as special. It is used to color Buddhist monk robes, to color hands and feet for wedding ceremonies and it is “planted in the middle of the paddy fields to bring luck.”
The Spanish, who also enjoyed the root, changed the name from kourkoum to curcuma, by which the most common variet is called today, curcuma longa.
Turmeric of late is very much discussed as the cure-all or break-through 
for seemingly every imaginable ailment. As Joshua Corn writes, “Hidden deep in the plant’s bright yellow roots is an extraordinarily powerful compound called curcumin that has the unique ability to block an enzyme that causes inflammation, while combatting free radical damage to highly sensitive vital organs like your brain and heart.”
Turmeric is much studied and researches have found that the active agent in turmeric can help with these health concerns:
Inflammation and pain
Rheumatoid arthritis
Depression
Diabetes
Canceer
Skin and aging
Brain health and memory
As with anything, there are concerns. As I’ve been able to find them they are
Upset your stomach
Thinning of blood
Stimulate contractions
It is relevant to note that turmeric is available as a tablet, and the quantity of curcumin is substantially higher than in the spice, dry or fresh.
As with any decisions for tablets, consult a professional health expert.
What To Do With It
We stumbled upon a chicken leg dish which is easy to make and very tasty. My oldest, who has a level of finicky unknown to me puts her nose up. The younger one asks for them, so, big sister has to pout. They are really good.
Curry Garlic Chicken Legs
These are easy to make for a bustling day of work. They taste great, have a built in handle and go with nearly any sides.
Ingredients
Chicken Legs
- 20 each Chicken legs
- 2 T Salt
- 6 T Curry powder
- 6 T Garlic powder
- Peanut oil
Curry Powder
- 1 T Turmeric, ground
- 2 t Coriander, ground
- 1.5 t Cumin, ground
- 1 t Cinnamon, ground
- 1 t Ginger, ground
- 1/2 t White pepper, ground
- 1/2 t Cardamom, ground
- 1/2 t Cloves, ground
- 1/2 t Nutmeg, ground
- 1/4 t Fresh ground black pepper
- Pinch Cayenne pepper
Instructions
Mix the Curry Powder
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Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Stir well to mix and store in an sealable jar away from light and heat.
Prepare the chicken legs
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Heat oven to 425 degrees F
Place the baking sheet pan in the oven to get hot.
Remove the drumsticks from the package. Pat them dry with a paper towel. If they are too wet, they will not get crispy.
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Mix the dry ingredients into a zip top gallon baggie.
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Add 4 or 5 drumsticks to the baggy at a time, seal, and toss well to coat the legs. Remove to a plate, repeat with all the legs.
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Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle peanut oil onto the pan. Carefully brush the pan with the oil to cover the bottom. Place the chicken legs on the pan, not touching each other, and alternating them so the wide part is opposite each time.
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Place in the over and bake for 40 minutes or until they are done.
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Remove and allow to stand just for a minute or two then dig in!
Recipe Notes
This recipe can easily be halved for 10 legs. If you find you have some spice left in the bag, sprinkle it on the legs. It is not wise to save that for later use, so give those legs some extra Oomph.
I found a turmeric bread recipe which looks just grand. The link is here.
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to put them to the side-by-side taste test with my sister-in-law’s.