Add a wellness boost to your winter meals with this no-cook, 5 ingredients turmeric pickle. All you need to do is mix all the ingredients and let it rest for a week.
A friend’s farm in Gogunda ( a village near Udaipur) is right now a green carpet of turmeric. The bulk of it will go into processing, some will be saved for re-sowing and some to be sold as fresh turmeric in the market. We were at their farm recently with a few more friends visiting Udaipur and I showed them the turmeric flower.
Have you ever seen a turmeric flower? It is one of the most beautiful ones I have seen on our farm and one that rarely anyone visiting the farm, recognizes.
Want to check out more vegetable flowers? Play the guessing game here!
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Most of us know and use turmeric as a powdered spice. Fresh or raw turmeric is available in the market for a very short season. Those who use it in their kitchens, swear by the health benefits of including raw turmeric in meals. My morning routine in winter starts with warm water with a dash of turmeric in it. (Touchwood) That simple thing has kept cold at bay, for the most part, this season.
How to use raw turmeric in your kitchen
There are many ways to add raw turmeric to your existing meals as well as seasonal fresh turmeric recipes. Some of the common turmeric recipes in India are:
- Turmeric Milk
- Turmeric Tea
- Turmeric Sabzi (Haldi ki sabzi)
- Turmeric Chutney
- Turmeric Pickle
The simple and easy turmeric pickle is one of the first fresh turmeric recipes to make ahead as the winter season starts. The fresh pickle stays good in the refrigerator for up to a month and possibly more but I make frequent batches that last us for 2 weeks and then switch to a new batch.
Turmeric Pickle (Haldi ka Achar)
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 100 g fresh turmeric roots
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 green chili
- 4-5 black peppercorns
Instructions
- Rinse to clean the turmeric roots.
- Peel and chop them into small pieces.
- In a glass jar, add all the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Close the jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a week.
- Shake the jar every day. After a week, the turmeric pickle is ready to serve.
Notes
- This pickle stays good for about a month in the refrigerator.
- Serve about 1 tsp of the Turmeric Pickle with your meals.
- It can also be added to soups while cooking and then blended.
A word of caution
Turmeric is a wonderful spice, widely used in our kitchens and medicine. But this recent article by The Economist points to lead adulteration of turmeric by many traders in India and other South Asian countries. Buy from trusted sources and choose wisely.
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