Cooking with Turmeric

Author: Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

In Sri Lanka Zoë, founder of Wunder Workshop, got to know the spice turmeric. This brightly coloured turmeric was found in almost all the dishes she ate there. Slowly but surely the idea started to manifest itself in to work with turmeric herself and to develop products which support good health and at the same time stimulate the taste buds.

The company focuses on traditional medicine, brought in a simple way. This information is combined with our current knowledge about, for example, availability of substances (bioavailability), the efficacy of certain substances and combinations of different ingredients. For example, the active substance curcumin, which is found in turmeric, is better absorbed by the body in combination with pepperine (a substance in black pepper).

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

The book Super Root Spices contains a whole range of special recipes based on the teachings of Ayurveda. This system of medicine has existed for thousands of years.

Ayurveda means 'knowledge or science of life'. In terms of nutrition, the focus is on fresh, unprocessed ingredients, many herbs and the concept of 'food as medicine'. By listening more and more to your body, it becomes easy to adapt your diet to your needs. The intention of this is that you, both mentally and physically, come into balance and are full of energy!

To give you an idea of the deliciousness of this book, follow three inspiring recipes from Super Root Spices. The selected recipes are perfect for the month of February. Extra strength can be used to fight the winter dip and let your inner stove burn.

Breakfast

Golden Booster Bowl

Sweet potato is delicious in both sweet and savoury dishes. This healthy breakfast bowl is ready in no time.

Tip: Bake one or two extra sweet potatoes in the oven the evening before, so you'll be quicker ready in the morning.

Preparation time: 15 min
Portion: 1

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tbsp linseed or 1 tablespoon broken linseed
• 200g sweet potato without dispute (cooked and cooled, lightly mashed)
• ¼ turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Siberian ginseng powder
• Sniff black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut butter
• ¼ tsp of cinnamon
• ¼ tsp of ground ginger
• 1tl maca powder
• 150ml unsweetened almond milk
• ½ banana
• Toppings: Hemp seeds (hulled), walnuts, almonds, cocoa nibs, bee pollen, coconut shreds, fresh berries...

Instructions

1. When using whole linseed, grind it first in a mini food processor (it is always better to use freshly ground linseed, as this is higher in nutrients than pre-ground linseed).
2. Put the sweet potato, ground flaxseed and other ingredients in a blender and mix.
3. Spoon into a bowl and add toppings if desired. We love the crunchy and brain-boosting walnuts and hemp seeds for smoothness and extra protein. Fresh berries, ground almonds, cocoa nibs and granola are also good options.

Desert

Ginger and Cardamom Pudding

This traditional, rich Indian pudding, called gajar ka halwa, is a party in the mouth. For best results, grind your own cardamom seeds and use freshly grated ginger. Serve hot, hot or cold with a spoonful of yogurt.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Portion: 6

Ingredients

• 400g grated carrot
• 2 tbsp fresh gingerroot
• 400ml coconut milk
• 100ml of water
• Handful of raisins
• 30g cashew nuts
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 4 tbsp coconut sugar
• ½ litre of freshly ground cardamom seed
• Full yoghurt and possibly cinnamon to serve

Instructions

1. Put the carrot, ginger and coconut milk in a heavy saucepan.
2. Mix the water and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and let it simmer on low heat until almost all the moisture is gone, stir regularly with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing cakes.
4. Add the raisins, cashew nuts, coconut sugar, coconut oil and cardamom and keep stirring while it continues to boil.
5. When it has a thick cream texture, the pudding is ready.
6. Serve in bowls and finish the dish with a scoop of yoghurt and cinnamon.

Cup of Golden Night

Valerian has been used since time immemorial to promote sleep. Ashwagandha and brahmi are two very well-known herbs that are widely used within Ayurveda. Both have stress-reducing properties. So very suitable for going to sleep! Although brahmi is known as a promoter of mental alertness and focus, its antidepressant and calming effect ensures a good night's sleep at the same time.

Preparation time: 10 min
Portion: 1

Ingredients

• 240ml oat milk
• 1 Tl Golden Kurkuma Thea, Chai - Bio
• ¼ tsp brahmi powder
• ¼ tsp valerian root powder (or replace by filling 1 tea pouch with Valerian herb and let it soak in).
• ¼ tsp ashwagandha root powder
• Raw honey, to sweeten (optional)

Instructions

1. Warm the oat milk on a low heat in a small pan.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the honey.
3. Continue to heat the milk almost to boiling point and whisk it regularly until it becomes frothy.
4. Pour the drink into a cup and add a spoonful of raw honey if desired.

Have you got the taste? Order Super Root Spices from Wunder Workshop, written by Zoë van't Hof and Tom Smale.

Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Elena studies Organic and Biodynamic agriculture because, besides psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants, she also has a passion for healthy food. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different cannabinoids and terpenes is super interesting.

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