Thursday, October 21, 2010

Double, double toil and trouble

Turmeric is an essential ingredient in Indian cooking. It is a yellow-orange root that is related to ginger and is commonly found in a dried powder form.




Not only is it a culinary spice, but it also has medicinal properties. Traditionally, it has been used in Eastern medicines as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. Turmeric is both consumed and used topically. Western medicine is just recently looking into the benefits of this multi-purpose Asian spice.


Warm turmeric milk is one of these traditional remedies I grew up with. This drink is used to treat colds, congestion, aches, phlegm and sore throats.


You will need the following ingredients:
- approximately 1 cup of milk
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
- a dash of nutmeg
- honey to taste




As in most Indian cooking, this recipe is extremely simple. Pour all of your ingredients into a pot and gently simmer it for approximately 2-5 minutes. That's it! As the milk warms, you will notice comforting scents being released and the beautiful colour of the spice permeating into the milk.




Sip this wonderful and warm delight to soothe your symptoms away.




Note, the nutmeg you added also has sedative properties. So, after drinking it, you can have a good night's rest.

3 comments:

  1. sounds great. must try; hopefully i can get a good night's rest

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  2. Zia, It will definitely help with sleep. If you want more intense sedative properties, put in a couple of sprigs of saffron. That should do the trick!

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