Tumeric was once a silent but essential ingredient in my kitchen cupboard, used in both Indian and South East Asian cooking in small amounts.  Truth be known, it can be a nightmare to work with; light coloured work surfaces, kitchen towels and clothes suffer from accidental spills and splatters.

In the last year or so, with tumeric’s elevated status as a super food due to it’s active ingredient curcumin being hailed as being able to kill cancer cells and heal many auto immune disorders (infact check out the list of ten medical uses yourself; fascinating!),it no longer sits quietly in the cupboard but I buy large amounts of organic tumeric powder at Earth.

The benefits of introducing black pepper into the mixture is that the medicinal properties of curcumin obtained from Curcuma longa L. cannot be utilised because of poor bioavailability due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall. By adding black pepper, studies show the increase in bioavailability was 2000%. Piperine enhances the serum concentration, extent of absorption and bioavailability of curcumin with no adverse effects. I only sound knowledgable because I heard it whilst listening to BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. I was in awe of the ancient Indian  Rig Veda that is the root of Ayurvedic medicine; thousands of years ago they knew of the amazing properties of tumeric and pepper and all things spice which must be how Indian cuisine evolved.

Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis myself and having an offspring with metabolic syndrome, its anti-inflammatory and sugar controlling properties means I make a paste out of tumeric powder, water, black pepper and coconut oil.  I use this to make a lovely warming ancient Indian drink called golden milk and also use it in cooking.  Here’s the link to the tumeric paste recipe.  If you don’t want to make it yourself then go to Chloe’s Espresso and have a delicious Golden Milk with almond, soy or plain old milk!  Paste provided by yours truly!

Making the paste in a pan is a real pain.  You have to cook the paste for 7 – 10 minutes for full effect and mellow flavour.  You have to keep stirring to ensure it does not burn and despite stirring it will still splatter!  Well, this week I found yet another brilliant TM5 solution.  Make your golden tumeric paste in the TM5 with (perhaps a little catching but) no burn and no splatters.  All neatly done in the TM Bowl, including weighing everything.  And transferring the paste into a bottle is much easier than out of a saucepan. Please note the stain on the table was because I took the TM bowl out to take the photo!

The best bit?  Cleaning is easy too as I leave a teaspoon of the mixture in the bowl and add a cup of whatever milk I fancy and heating up a lovely mug of Golden Milk before self washing the Thermomix.

Here’s a bit of an aside worth watching: 5 tips on cleaning your TM bowl. If your lid gets stained with the tumeric don’t fret.  It does fade on its own or leave it in the sun (if you are in the UK I hear you: “Sun?What sun??”) silicone seal side up for a couple of hours and hey presto, back to normal.

THE RECIPE:

TUMERIC PASTE

60g Organic Turmeric Powder

60g mineral water

1 teaspoons black pepper

40g Tablespoons virgin coconut oil

In the TM bowl, weigh in the tumeric powder, water and pepper.  Cook 7-10 minutes/100C/speed 2.  Add coconut oil, stir 1 min/speed 2 till oil in smoothly combined. Transfer the paste into a glass jar with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use this paste to make your golden milk below or to add to smoothies, curries or dhal.

GOLDEN MILK

1/2  tsp Tumeric Paste (see above)

240 ml milk of choice (cow’s, goat’s, nut, coconut, soy, rice or oat milk)

1/8 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Honey to taste (optional)

Pinch cinnamon (optional)

Put  milk and  golden paste in TM Bowl.  Heat for 2 to 3 mins/80C/speed 2. Ensure the milk is warmed and well mixed (increase time if necessary but do not boil the mixture). Add optional vanilla, honey and/or cinnamon and stir speed 2 to blend.