Superfood: Turmeric

Last night for dinner I made a dish nostalgic of my grad school days — Curried Cauliflower. I know it’s a strange choice, but at JMU there is little in terms of ethnic food. On Friday nights, I would get take-out at the Indian American Cafe and it inspired me to experiment with curry on my own.

So today – much to my husband’s dismay – our house smells like an Indian dhaba. This is due to my favorite dish using many indian spices! Curry, coriander, ginger, and turmeric, which is getting a lot of press these days as a superfood. Why? Turmeric contains a substance called curcumin, which is largely responsible for its antioxidant powers – which have shown in studies to significantly lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (the good stuff). It’s also been shown to decrease pain from arthritis, treat inflammatory bowel diseases (chrohn’s, colitis), slow and even stop cancer cell growth, and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

That being said, I know you’re now dying to try my recipe, so here it is. Yes, there are a lot of spices, but don’t be scared. It’s good stuff.

Curried Cauliflower (with potatoes and chick peas)

• 3 Tbsp olive or canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp curry
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2/3 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 -2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 large potatoes, chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 can drained and rinsed chick peas
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the oil until soft; add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

Add cauliflower, potatoes, chick peas, salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add 2/3 cup broth and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add more broth if needed. Before serving, sprinkle with cilantro and lemon juice. Yum!

Enjoy!

Danielle Omar, MS, RD

The Food Confidence Expert
www.foodconfidence.com