During these difficult times, Passion for Spices™ Team wants to showcase the immune system boosting spices that you can incorporate into your pantry for everyday use. This series is called Spice Up Your Pantry, where we will be showcasing basic spices that boost your immune system, and how you can use them in your everyday food.

Part 1: Turmeric “The Spice of Life”

Turmeric

Description: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a member of the “ginger” family, and is a rhizome. It has an active compound called Turmeric Curcumin which is proven to be very beneficial.

Health Benefits: Turmeric curcumin is an active compound proven to reduce inflammation, prevent oxidization, and stop the spread or reoccurrence of breast cancer, and it also exhibits antiviral properties.

Origin: Native to tropical Asia.

Black Pepper

Description: Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a member of the “pepper” family. They start as berries picked when green, and they darken and shrivel upon dying.

Health Benefits: Pepper helps with indigestion and has a wide variety of vitamins, including potassium and magnesium. According to research, when eaten with turmeric, black pepper and all of its health benefits are better absorbed.

Origin: Native to southern India and the Americas.

Culinary Use of Turmeric and Black pepper

In traditional spice blends, Turmeric and Black Pepper are used together. They have to be cooked in a soluble fat like ghee or coconut oil for the spices to completely absorb in your body. According to Dr. Weil, an advocate for alternative medicine, there have been over 200 citations for turmeric benefits related to Cancer, Arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. At Passion for Spices™, we have a spice blend that is refined to incorporate turmeric and black pepper together which is made of quality, organic spices, with no salt or added ingredients. To learn more, visit our spice shop.

Spiced Grilled Veggies

Enjoy this complimentary recipe that uses both turmeric and black pepper.

Procedure:

1. Mix the oil, Keralan curry, salt and pepper in bowl. Coat the peppers, eggplant, pineapple and onions with the curry powder mixture. Grill all the coated vegetables and the pineapple. Set aside. Arrange the grilled vegetables, pineapple and avocados attractively on individual plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with chives and Kashmiri garam masala.

2. Serve with your favorite rice. A perfect vegetarian dinner idea.

Ingredients:

2 yellow peppers, cut into large dice
2 red peppers, cut into large dice
1 eggplant sliced
3 red onions, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Keralan curry
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 avocados pitted, peeled and cut into wedges
1 table spoon, finely minced chives
¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Garam Masala

Substitutions: Instead of Keralan curry, use brown turmeric and black pepper in combination. Instead of Kashimiri Garam Masla, you can use cinnamon.