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    Home » Round-ups

    Published: May 13, 2022 · Modified: May 16, 2022 by Zen

    16 Simple Turmeric recipes beyond curry

    Easy and simple turmeric recipes, that go beyond the typical curry, and span from sweet, savoury to vegan.

    Vegan lemon tart made with turmeric and topped with raspberries.
    Jump to:
    • What is turmeric?
    • Where to buy
    • Tips
    • FAQ
    • Curries
    • Soups
    • Salad
    • Rice & Noodles
    • Instant Pot
    • Drinks
    • Vegan

    What is turmeric?

    It is a root, from the same family as ginger, with an earthy, warm and peppery taste, and turns dishes golden. (Watch out that it doesn't stain your clothes- wearing anything white and working with this rhizome is a huge no-no, unless you want to turn your white clothing yellow!)

    Whilst the health benefits of turmeric are often extolled, thanks to its curcumin content, do note that not everyone is suited for taking turmeric, especially if you're on certain types of medications. Always check with a medical professional if in doubt.

    If you've run out, here are some of the best turmeric substitutes.

    Fun fact: it is used in some versions of 5 spice powder

    Where to buy

    You can find it in fresh, dried or paste form, although ground and dried turmeric powder is the most commonly available outside of Asia. For fresh turmeric, check out your nearest Asian supermarket as turmeric is a staple in South East Asian and Indian cooking.

    3 pieces of fresh turmeric root.

    For other recipes made with edible Asian herbs and veggies, such as kaffir lime leaf, curry leaves and lemongrass, click here.

    Tips

    1. The flavour of this root is quite strong, so start with a small amount and increase as you become more confident cooking with turmeric. You can add a bit to almost any soup or smoothie, and it'll give it a nice golden hue.
    2. An easy way to include turmeric into your diet is to add a little to your cup of tea.
    3. Adding a pinch of turmeric to yellow or golden foods makes them look even more delicious, such as with Mac and cheese or frittata. Yuuum!
      • In fact, turmeric is added to yellow mustard to give it its brilliant golden hue.
    4. The easiest and most cost-effective way (i.e. you don't waste too much of the good stuff) to peel off the skin is to use the back of a spoon, much like you do with ginger.

    FAQ

    How to store turmeric root?

    Store fresh turmeric root in a cool and dark place. If you've cut into it, you can wrap the unused portion with clingfilm then keep it in the chiller for about a week.

    Toss if you see mold!

    How long does turmeric powder last?

    Ground turmeric powder can last for a few years if stored properly. Generally, dried spices don't go bad but they do lose their flavor and aroma with time.

    Curries

    Singaporean assam fish curry with coconut
    A healthier alternative to the typical Singapore assam fish, as no sugar is added.
    Check out this Assam fish recipe.
    Assam fish curry with broccoli and rice
    Basa Fish Curry
    Fish fillet marinated in yoghurt, garlic, ginger, turmeric and chilli- doesn't it sound delicious? (You can use any white fish, so it's super versatile too!)
    Click here for the fish curry recipe.
    Close-up of red basa fish Indian curry.
    Chicken Jalfrezi Curry
    This chicken curry uses turmeric and other spices in its seasoning that goes beautifully with its tomato-based sauce.
    Click here for the chicken curry recipe.

    Soups

    Close-up of orange pumpkin and turmeric soup.
    Pumpkin, carrot and turmeric soup
    A creamy and healthy soup perfect for fall and winter that is on the table in 25 minutes.
    Click here for the turmeric soup recipe.
    Close-up of orange pumpkin and turmeric soup.
    Spicy Fish soup for fighting colds
    A low-fat, under 300 calories fish soup recipe that is great for beating the flu and has a 5-star rating! For a vegan flu-busting soup recipe, check out this wanton soup recipe.
    Click here for the fish soup.
    Close-up of spicy white fish soup with turmeric.

    Salad

    Turmeric, honey and mustard dressing
    A delicious, healthy, vegan golden salad dressing made with mustard, honey and turmeric. Awesome drizzled on salad or as a dip for chicken!
    Click here for the salad dressing recipe.
    Moroccan quinoa and chickpea salad (Vegan)
    This healthy and hearty salad is packed with veg and protein. The chickpeas are coated with turmeric and other spices- they're so delicious, you can eat them on their own and not just in this salad! (They remind me of a snack that we used to buy at the movies in Singapore when I was young, called kacang putter .)
    Click here for the salad recipe.
    Close-up of a quinoa and chickpea salad.

    Rice & Noodles

    Add some turmeric and coconut milk to your cooker the next time you make rice and you'll be surprised by how delicious a simple rice dish can be. (If you have them, throw in some pandan, lemongrass and ginger which all go well with turmeric.)

    Yellow rice & Pignoli
    For a fancier rice, try this yellow rice pilaf, which is ever so delicious with the pine nuts and raisins. Ready in 30 minutes, it makes a delicious side dish for meat and other roasts.
    Click here for the pilaf recipe.
    Yellow turmeric pilaf in a white bowl.
    Turmeric shrimp linguine with saffron sauce
    A delicious golden pasta recipe, made with turmeric and saffron.
    Click here for the linguini recipe.
    A plate of turmeric prawn linguini pasta.


    Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Briyani
    This Instant Pot biryani is packed with vegetables (it's vegetarian) and spices such as turmeric. Moreover, it only takes 5 minutes in the Instant Pot!
    Click here for the briyani recipe.

    Drinks

    A spoonful of golden milk spice, or turmeric tea, mix.
    Golden Milk Spice
    A spice mix for Golden Milk, also known as Turmeric Tea that can be made in advance and makes for a great gift. 4-ingredients, 5-minutes and lots of health benefits!
    Click here for the tea mix secret.
    A spoonful of golden milk spice, or turmeric tea, mix.
    Turmeric ginger cinnamon tea
    Easy, healthy, naturally golden and only requires 5 ingredients.
    Click here for the turmeric & ginger tea recipe.
    Close-up of naturally golden turmeric, ginger and cinnamon tea.

    For more Asian drink recipes, click here.

    Vegan

    Golden cauliflower soup
    This creamy cauliflower soup is vegan and whole30. It's loads with spice, making it perfect for warming up on cold days.
    Click here for the creamy soup recipe.
    A bowl of cauliflower soup with turmeric.

    Desserts

    Vegan creme egg for Easter cut in half so you can see the filling inside.
    Vegan lemon tart
    Like many vegan egg desserts, this 6-ingredient light and creamy vegan lemon tart get its beautiful golden hue from turmeric. Don't use too much as turmeric has a strong flavor. This vegan dessert has a 4.89 rating so don't forget to try it!
    Click here for the tart recipe.
    A vegan lemon tart with fruits on top.
    Vegan Chinese egg tarts
    A vegan take on traditional Chinese egg tarts, with a pinch of turmeric to make them look more enticing.
    Click here for the egg tart recipe.
    Vegan Giant Creme Egg
    Although I didn't want to include too many vegan desserts, I couldn't resist this gorgeous Easter egg which only requires 5 ingredients! Judging from its 4.89 star rating, neither could the other readers!
    Click here to learn to make vegan Easter eggs.
    Vegan creme egg for Easter cut in half so you can see the filling inside.

    Which of these simple turmeric recipes was your favourite? Let me know if you think I've missed out on something that absolutely should be included in this turmeric round-up!

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    Turmeric ginger cinnamon tea with lemon & honey »

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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love having friends and families over, and cooking for them. I tend to be slightly obsessive-compulsive, so I like to try many different versions of a recipe before coming up with my own "ultimate" version. Check out www.greedygirlgourmet.com every week for new tried-and-tested (on my guinea pigs aka guests!) Asian recipes which are full of flavour!

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