Hi Mamta and fans. When turmeric is added to a dish is it mostly for colour? I know that turmeric can be bitter in large amounts, but to me there isn't really much of a flavour, just an earthy-like smell. Would it be OK to leave turmeric out of all Indian recipes that call for it? The reason why I'm asking this is because the other half doesn't like it and is always complaining how it stains everything. I get n enough trouble as it is...without adding to it. "WHAT THE HECK HAS HAPPENED TO MY TEA TOWEL." d:-(

I am going to make Mamta's mum's chicken curry for dinner this evening. Not that any of you needed to know that.

apart from the earthy flavour you noticed, the colour is quite interesting stuff, its called curcumen. It is very soluble in oil or other organic solvents, and is composed of two molecules of vanillin, one of the main components of vanilla flavour.

If you mix some dry turmeric powder with some vegetable oil, and leave it for a day on a warm surface, then pour off the oil from the sediment, you should have a clear deep yellow oil, which smells slightly of vanilla. The sediment smells and tastes earthy!

If you cook with turmeric, then you must ensure it has time in infuse in oil, although I would always add turmeric after adding water based ingredients, as the spice burns so easily. So adding turmeric gives earthy and vanilla type flavours, and colour. Can you really do without it?

I read that curcumen is absorbed into the gut more readily if black pepper is consumed at the same time. I don't see why this should be true, but there you go.

Thanks for your answers. I think I will have to buy some cheap tea towels just for moping up the splashes and some disposable jey cloths for washing the curry pans. I must admit that I like the colour that turmeric gives to a dish, and like Guest said, it adds an overall effect on a dish.

By the way, I made the curry and it smells and tastes a treat. I just hope it's up to someone's expectations LOL. :-)

Sorry, that last 'guest' was me, using another computer! As said elsewhere, I am using my OH's lap top and forget that I am not permanently logged in! If you don't fill in your name, it comes up as guest, as most of you know already.

How did the curry go Andrew?

I wouldn't buy new towels, just cut up any old one into squares or cut pieces from old cotton T shirts, they are both excellent for wiping surfaces.

It looks good, smells good, and tastes good, thanks, Mr's G. I don't eat meat so the chicken curry is not for me, but I've tried the sauce and it tastes good. I would have taken some pictures for you, but with it not having turmeric in I imagine that the pictures wouldn't look right. I'm having Mamta's chickpea curry with cauliflower greens and stalks bhaji -- with no turmeric... :-(

Lapis now thats interesting that its got the Vanilla type properties as I was just about to post saying I think Turmeric (haldi) has sort of a creamy taste !... guess I was right !

Steve

Vanilla in turmeric? How interesting, and surprisiing!

It's called 'curcaman' in French, but I have no idea what the French do with it, other than use it as an alternative to (expensive) saffran, for colour.

Talking of which, I'm due to have a Scottish guest here in the Spring with some Iranian saffron, which I expect to be wonderfully scented. Will have to do some fragrant Indian dish with this. Any suggestions? Basmati rice, perhaps.

Phil, try the chicken curry with saffron!

http://mamtaskitchen.com./recipe_display.php?id=10010

Beautiful

Cheers

Steve

Thanks, Steve: I'll give it a go when they get here, and let you know how I get on.

Phil

lets be careful, this is how urban myths start, I said curcumen is composed of two molecules of vanillin, not that it has vanilla in it. The curcumen will break down, forming vanillin, which can be detected by smelling it.

Saffron is sometimes that extra something which lifts a dish. I found that a Rogan Josh recipe, which did not contain tomatoes, cream, or any of the usual junk found in 'Indian restaurant' fare, (just yoghurt and spices)was transformed into something really wonderful by a tiny amount of saffron. Its so easy to over do it, too!

Ok, I stand corrected: vanillin, not vanilla. Never heard of the former, until now.

people say that turmeric has health benifits but i can not eat it because i get blisters on my hands and patches of dry skin on other places of my body. after eatin it about 30 mins later i start to itch all over and then the dry areas of skin start itching to. i searched online about spices and found that turmeric can cause dermatitis for some people but it is rare. so i eliminated turmeric first and after about 1 week my skin cleared up and so i stoped eating it. have not eaten it for ages now. odd thing is that i can eat ginger and the same thing does not happen but i thought they were from the same plant family.so i have been makin indian food without turmeric for a long time. i had to cos of my issue with turmeric i can not use curry powders or pastes and that is why i started making my own curries and how i found this site. i dont think that leaving turmeric out makes all that much difference anyway. imho.

Leah, sorry to hear about your problem but at least you've got to the bottom of it !

I think that although turmeric is in the same family as ginger it doesn't mean they are exactly the same. When you look into it things like Tomatoes and Potato are in the same family known as Nightshade which includes Belladona (Deadly Nightshade),tobacco, capsicum and chilli peppers which you wouldn't consider to be anywhere near the same !

Steve

Sorry to hear about your turmeric problems leah. Yes, it is indeed a healing spice, mainly anti-inflammatory.

There are so many Indian dishes from different regions, including the ones called 'curry', that do not have turmeric anyway. You have just proven that one spice alone does not make a dish.

Mamta