The Oct. 15, 2014 LIFE program had a large crowd excited to learn
about the spice, turmeric. Usha Dontharaju, Reference Assistant at LSC-CyFair,
in full Indian sari regalia, did not disappoint. We learned that this root
spice is in the same family as ginger and it is used as a food ingredient and
as a tonic for many ailments such as indigestion, liver detox, skin healing,
brain function, antiinflammatory, lower cholesterol, anti cancer, and much
more. Indian cooks use turmeric in small quantities while cooking, but they put
the ground spice in practically everything. It is a beautiful yellow color and
a neutral taste (it is not spicy like hot red pepper).
Usha prepared a Lemon Rice dish. She had steamed rice prepared. In
a frying pan, she put 5 teaspoons of vegetable oil. When hot she added
about a 1/2 cup of raw peanuts and 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds. When
fragrant, she added a teaspoon of chick pea flour, the juice of two limes (yes,
they still call it lemon rice), two pinches of turmeric, a handful of curry
leaves from her garden,and salt to taste. She combined the mixture with the
rice. We all got to taste this delightful dish. Usha also prepared a turmeric
facial mask (1 teaspoon turmeric and three tablespoons of homemade plain
yogurt). This will color your skin yellow so don't put it on before a big
party.
Usha had everyone laughing at her witty remarks, admiring
her cooking skills and learning about this miraculous little root. Some
suggested she do a cooking program on You Tube. Bollywood here she comes.
No comments:
Post a Comment