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Turmeric is used in a variety of dishes in Indian cooking since ages. But did you know that it is an antiseptic too? Especially, when you dab a pinch of turmeric of a little scrape/cut/wound, the bleeding stops almost immediately and also it serves as an antiseptic. This is a very effective remedy to stop bleeding from a wound, esp for kids.
Also, when you drink a glass of milk boiled with a pinch of turmeric during cold/flu, eases the congestion.
There are many more uses both as medicinal and culinary that come from old world tips.

I put a pinch into my shortcrust pastry when I make quiche, which sounds so wrong but honestly give it a try, it's great. My dad always did it, I don't know why.

sirisha is absolutely right...I am sure most Indians just cant cook with out using turmeric....it is native to India...and has eventually become a part of south asian world...
http://science.howstuffworks.com/flowering-plants/turmeric-info.htm


like everybody else in india, I grew up with turmeric being an integral part of my life, diet and beauty regimen....infact it is considered auspicious to use turmeric while we bathe..every indian bride has a turmeric smearing ceremony before the wedding....: )...

another interesting fact is that..the mustard (so indispensable in a hot dog) has turmeric in it!..that is what lends the yellow colour to any variety of mustard

Like Sirisha I use turmeric to deal with colds and flus by making a turmeric tea.

I like it with potatoes too like when I am making any sort of breaded pocket filled with potatoes and vegetables.

I have also used it with eggs to kick up an egg salad.

Away from the kitchen I use it to dye items like when I make recycled paper.

I would like to share a link..i m not particularly happy about it ..but itz just the way it is


http://www1.american.edu/ted/turmeric.htm


enjoy

I love turmeric in this broccoli and tomatoes dish.

When I was in high school, my best friend was from India. Her mom used to make this fantastic popcorn with turmeric on it. I recently connected with her again and here's how she says it was made:

"What you do is get a big pan (with a lid). Use oil and loose popcorn kernels. Let the popcorn pop and then add a bit of tumeric, salt, sugar, and red pepper when it is all popped and just shake it really good."

This was so, so good - I think what makes it is popping the popcorn in the oil - I've tried it with microwave popcorn and it's no where near good. :-)

The breakfast restaurant in which I worked after college used turmeric to season their home fries. They were the best home fries and it took me years to figure out that it was turmeric, because they wouldn't give the recipe to anyone!

Turmeric is one of the first things I put into my green split pea dal

I am definitely going to try the quiche crust and popcorn tricks. Thanks! My "secret ingredient" use for tumeric is in vegetable broths. When you want a richer-flavored vegetarian broth, start by sauteeing your onion and celery in a little olive oil, add a pinch of tumeric, and toss well. Then add water and whatever else you're tossing in. Using a little fat (oil) is key to getting the flavor out and about. Tints your broth yellow, too, which makes omnivores happy (looks like chicken broth!).

Note: in my experience, tumeric does not marry well with parmesan, so I leave it out of broths that are destined to become minestrone. Besides, those I usually flavor with a cheese rind, which is plenty rich.

i definitely use tumeric as the 'poor man's saffron' and enjoy the results a lot.

There is a fair amount of scientific evidence supporting the medicinal use of turmeric. Turmeric has a compound in it called curcumin. In animal studies, curcumin has been shown to have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties.

Also, it's yummy. I put it on starchy things (grains, potatoes, etc.) and also in eggs.

I LOVE turmeric. I also grew up in an Indian household (in America) and can vouch for the fact that it is used quite often in Indian cooking.

When I got my own apartment (and tiny, tiny kitchen) in college, my mom gave me a spice container with several different compartments for all the spices to be used in cooking my favorite dishes. Since I was still pretty inept in the kitchen, she gave me her formula for her shortcut recipes (my mom hates spending a long time in the kitchen, so she came up with several "shortcuts" to make Indian recipes taste the same in half the time). Here it is: mirchi (red chili pepper), namak (salt), haldi (turmeric), and adraglessen (ginger-garlic paste). Fast food to me is adding these spices to anything from eggplant and spinach to chicken and lamb, and coming up with a tasty result. So I'm using turmeric every day!

No one has mentioned the staining....I found out that turmeric is photosensitive so if you've turned a utensil or piece of clothing yellow try leaving it in the sunlight to help fade more quickly.

I cook a lot of Indian food, so use this every single day. It gets stale and flavorless if it sits too long, so I'd suggest buying at a place with good turnover, like an Indian store. And whatever you do, don't try to grind your own from the dried root - I broke my coffee grinder blade that way (ack!).

It's used as a colorant for a lot more than just food. My dad got some at the Asian market one time, and he was surprised that it is edible. I think he uses it in stains for furniture, or something like that.

Turmeric is a very powerful anti-inflammatory and also seems to prevent cancer. I use 1/2 tsp daily in my cooked hot cereal.

I actually always put tumeric in my matzoballs- it just adds a little something and it's good for you. I gets into the broth that way as well.