The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 6 Spring 2013 | Page 18

Herbs

Turmeric
By Sara Davies and Peta Searle

Grow this wonderfully bright yellow spice, native to South Asia, and
enjoy the countless benefits it has to offer.

A bit of background Growing turmeric

A natural remedy

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, the bright
yellow of the spice rainbow, hails from
the family Zingiberaceae, from which
ginger also comes. The plants have a
similar growth habit but the leaves of
the turmeric plant are much broader.

The spice is a powerful medicine that
has long been used in the Chinese
and Indian systems of medicine as
an anti-inflammatory agent to treat a
wide variety of conditions, including
flatulence, jaundice, menstrual
difficulties, bloody urine, haemorrhage,
toothache, bruises, chest pain and
colic. It is one of the most popular
natural remedies for rheumatoid
arthritis and arthritis. Regular use of
turmeric will really help your joints.

Turmeric is important in Hindu and
Buddhist ceremonies. In Indian culture,
especially in Hinduism, turmeric is
associated with fertility and prosperity,
and brings good luck if applied to a
bride’s face and body, as part of the
ritual purification before a wedding.
The robes of the Buddhist monks were
traditionally coloured with a yellow dye
made from turmeric.
A turmeric
bath ritual
during the
festival at
Vandimala

Turmeric is a beautiful plant that is
as comfortable in an ornamental
garden, as it would be in your herb or
vegetable garden. Its beautiful leaves
are reminiscent of cannas and the
flower is a surprising delight. Each plant
will give you a cluster of ginger-like
rhizomes (roots) to be used fresh or
they can be dried out and ground into
the traditionally used powder.
Getting hold of fresh turmeric in
Zimbabwe can be a little tricky – it’s
not sold fresh in the supermarkets
but you might be able to find some by
asking around. Once you’ve secured
some roots, keep them until they start
to sprout. That’s when you can plant
them out – about 15cm deep. It’s good
to mark the spots where you’ve planted
them so you can look out for the new
shoots. If you plant them in a clump,
be sure to give each root a 20cm clear
radius.

Cooking with turmeric
Turmeric has a stunning yellow colour thanks to its primary
ingredient curcumin. This colour is imparted to anything
that you cook it with. Most people know it as a powdered
spice, which you add to rice or use in curries, but it’s worth
knowing about the fresh root, which you can easily grow in
your garden here in Zimbabwe. Dig up and grate a piece of
this to add to all sorts of meals to make use of its valuable
properties. A simple spaghetti bolognaise will be taken to
new heights with a nice chunk of freshly grated turmeric.

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Turmeric is also an excellent natural
antibiotic, while at the same time
it strengthens digestion and helps
improve intestinal flora. It promotes
proper metabolism in the body,
correcting both excesses and
deficiencies.
Being a natural antiseptic and having
an antibacterial agent, it is useful
in disinfecting cuts and burns. Its
antioxidant properties fight cancercausing free radicals, reducing or >>>

Easy and tasty yellow rice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ cups Basmati rice
1 can coconut milk (or light)
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt

Pepper/red pepper flakes
¼ tsp ground turmeric
(can add more to enhance
colour)
1 bay leaf
½ cup raisins
¾ cup cashews in halves

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat. Stir in
rice, and cook for two minutes.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock, cumin, coriander,
red pepper flakes, salt, turmeric, bay leaf, raisins, and cashew
halves. Bring to the boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low.
3. Cook until rice is tender.
4. Best served with a curry.