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IX maltatoday, Sunday, 8 March 2015 Food Fine food of the week Bright yellow healing properties of turmeric Grown in the forests of southeast Asia, Indian curries would not be complete without some of the bright yellow col- oured turmeric. The spice comes from the rhizome of a plant in the ginger family and though it is sometimes available fresh, it is usually sold dried and ground, in powder form. Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bit- ter f lavour and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger, and while it is best known as one of the key ingredients used to make an Indian curry, it also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow colour. In some areas, usually where the turmeric plant is grown, particularly Maharashtra, Goa, Konkan and Kanara, the leaves of the plant are also used to wrap and cook food in. When the leaves are freshly picked they impart a unique and distinct f lavour to the food that they are wrapping. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, can also be used to test acidit y in food, as it turns yellow in acidic foods and red in alkaline foods. Although turmeric has been harvested in Indonesia and Southern India for more than 5,000 years, and was introduced to Europe by Arab traders in the 13th century, it has only gained popularit y in Western societ y in recent years, largely due to recent research that has highlight- ed its therapeutic properties. Non-culinary uses Known as one of the world 's best natu- ral healers, turmeric has uses far beyond those in the kitchen. It has been used as a powerful anti-in- f lammatory in both Chinese and Indian systems of medicine and has also been used to treat a wide variet y of conditions including f latulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, haemorrhage, toothache, bruising, chest pain and colic. Turmeric is a fantastic cure for throat infection. Simply mix a spoonful of turmeric with hot milk and drink it down. The hot milk will soothe the sore throat and the turmeric fights the throat infection. When mixed with honey, turmeric has been known to help counter anaemia and simply mixed with water can also fight bouts of diarrhoea. Recent research has also proved that turmeric has been shown to fight leu- kaemia and other forms of cancer. Besides its healing properties it has also been used extensively as a textile dye. Serving ideas • Add turmeric to egg salad to give it an even bolder yellow colour. • Mix brown rice with raisins and cash- ews and season with turmeric, cumin and coriander. • Add a pinch of turmeric on sautéed apples, and steamed caulif lower and/ or green beans and onions. • For a creamy, flavour-rich, low-calorie dip, try mixing some turmeric and dried onion with a little omega-3-rich mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Serve with raw caulif lower, celery, sweet pepper, and broccoli f lorets. • Turmeric is a great spice to comple- ment recipes that feature lentils. • Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue by adding some turmeric powder to them. Though turmeric is most often found ground as a powder it can also be found fresh Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsp butter • 1 onion, finely diced • 2 garlic clove, crushed • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 1 tsp ground turmeric • 1 tsp curry powder • 1 red chilli, finely chopped • 2 tomatoes, seeds removed, finely chopped • 6 free-range eggs • 50ml double cream • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander • 4 slices buttered toast, to serve • Method 1. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, or until soft. 2. Add the spices and chilli and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant and well combined. 3. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3-4 min- utes, or until softened. 4. Beat the eggs and cream together in a bowl, then add the mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are just set. 5. Stir in the coriander. 6. Spoon the eggs onto the toast to serve. Recipe of the week Parsi eggs These spicy scrambled eggs are typical of the Parsi cuisine of India and Pakistan and make a perfect lazy weekend brunch.