Yesterday, I explained why Yellow dyes 5 and 6 have been banned from our house. And I mentioned that one of the organic ways to make food yellow was with a spice called "turmeric". Turneric is commonly used in Indian cooking, but is also found in Middle Eastern and other cuisines. When I begin a 47-day meatless fast in about a month, Indian food will become a weekly addition to our diet. I will make my boys' favorites, post them, and introduce you to delicious and "light" Indian dishes. Trust me, even if you think you don't like Indian food, you will love Vegetable Biriyani. Chicken Biriyani is even better though - so look for it in a week or two before the fast begins.
O.K. So here's the skinny on Turmeric: it has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has even been used in trials as a potential cancer treatment for breast, colon, and prostate cancer - with promisning results. Apparently, the curcumin in it can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens. (See "Eating Well" magazine, December 2010, pg. 75). As a cancer survivor, when I first heard this a few years back (from my oncologist!), I began to cook Indian food like crazy. One night we'd have Biriyani, the next Palak Paneer, then Kheema (ground lamb with peas). Unfortunately, I burned my family out on the stuff. So now I make it a few times a month (except for fasting periods), and eat it out as often as I can. Indian food can be pretty fattening, so you have to know what to order in a restuarant. In the meantime, I highly recommend the book New Indian Home Cooking, by Madhu Gadia. To quote the cover, it contains "more than 100 delicious, nutritional and easy low-fat recipes". Until next time, happy and healthy eating!
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