25 Tasty Turmeric Recipes to Spice Up Your Life (2024)

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Ariel Knutson

Ariel Knutson

Arie was the Features Director at Kitchn. She lives in Los Angeles.

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updated Mar 5, 2021

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Have you fallen in love with turmeric yet? This potent and aromatic spice, which comes fresh or dried, adds a ton of flavor and color to everything from curries to cakes. You don’t need a lot of turmeric for it to have a powerful impact. So whether you have a jar of it lurking in the back of your pantry and want to use it up, or simply have a strong desire to add more spice to your life, these 25 recipes will help you in your mission.

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Roasted Cauliflower in Turmeric Kefir

Enjoy this spicy, stew-y dinner over rice or with parathas.

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Roasted Eggplant and Brown Rice Bowl with Turmeric Tahini

This vibrant grain bowl is topped with chickpeas, roasted eggplant, and a vibrant turmeric tahini sauce.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Turmeric Yogurt

Turmeric yogurt is topped with a variety of different types of heirloom tomatoes in this summer recipe. The whole dish is drizzled with a homemade green goddess sauce.

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Creamy Turmeric Chicken Skillet

This creamy one-skillet chicken dinner gets a double dose of vibrant turmeric and is finished with a lush sauce.

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Smashed Cucumbers with Turmeric, Coconut, and Peanuts

Turmeric-spiked coconut oil travels into the nooks and crannies of smashed cucumbers, while toasted coconut flakes and peanuts add a welcome crunch to the mix.

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Fire Cider

Your cold won't know what hit it.

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Curried Corn and Coconut Rice

This vegan side dish uses a heaping 2 tablespoons of turmeric. Put that over luscious coconut rice and find true happiness.

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Cauliflower Cake

This Insta-famous cauliflower cake from Yotam Ottolenghi is good hot or at room temperature.

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Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry

This gorgeous chicken recipe comes together with the help of your pressure cooker. There's only one teaspoon of turmeric in this recipe, but it melds super well with the other spices.

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Kitchari

This recipe transforms a mess of beans and rice into something dinner-worthy. If you want something cheap and delicious and full of spices, this is the meal for you.

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Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Everyone knows cauliflower is the most magical vegetable. Like tofu, it takes on all the stuff around it and makes it better. Only 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric makes this soup a golden yellow-orange.

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Legume (Noodle) Soup

Ottolgenhi was inspired by Persian cuisine for this recipe. The soup is thick enough by itself that you can skip the noodles and it would still be delightful.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cumin

Turmeric and cauliflower are BFF, and this recipe proves the relationship. You sear the steak on the stovetop, sprinkle it with a spice mixture, and then roast. So easy, right? Serve with cilantro and quinoa.

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Sunshine Smoothie with Coconut, Clementine and Turmeric

Feeling a little under the weather? This smoothie packed with vitamin C and turmeric will help you survive the storm.

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Persian Herb Frittata (Kuku Sabzi)

Fresh parsley, cilantro, chives, and dill are the stars of this recipe, although you can substitute leeks, scallions, tarragon, spinach, or other tender greens you have on hand. Turmeric adds a nice touch of color to the whole dish.

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Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons

This deeply satisfying chicken recipe is full of preserved lemons, olives, and a ton of spices.

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The next time you have a giant squash staring at you in your kitchen, turn it into this flavorful curry.

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Wild Rice Bowl with Red Lentil-Coconut Curry and Spinach

Lunch, is that you? This grain bowl is not messing around. You can't go wrong with lentil curry.

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Southwestern Tofu Scramble

Tofu scrambles are a great recipe to have in your back pocket because they're so darn simple and can often trick even the most ardent tofu-hater into sitting down to a hearty, vegetarian breakfast.

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The Superfood Baked Potato

That yellow sauce oozing from the potato? That's turmeric mixed with yogurt.

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Turmeric-Ginger Tea

This is the easiest recipe that features turmeric. Just combine water, turmeric, ginger, and maybe some milk and honey if you're into that kind of thing. Perfect for flu season.

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Paneer Mughlai Curry

This recipe is incredibly adaptable. If you're pressed for time, or if you want a lighter version of the recipe, there are directions for how to make it happen.

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Popeye Pesto Tofu Scramble

This delicious tofu scramble includes homemade pesto and turmeric for added flavor and color. Serve it in a tortilla or eat it straight.

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Lamb Korma

Combine lamb, coconut milk, and all the spices in your apartment, and this is the end result.

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Turmeric Switchel

For a brighter, more lively flavor, opt for fresh over dried turmeric here.

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25 Tasty Turmeric Recipes to Spice Up Your Life (2024)

FAQs

What is the best ingredient to mix with turmeric? ›

Herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt tells us, “To get the most out of your turmeric add 3% black pepper to the mix. Black pepper improves the bioavailability of turmeric, making smaller doses more effective.” This works out to about 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper to 1/4 cup of turmeric.

How do you use turmeric as a spice? ›

A half a teaspoon of ground turmeric is usually plenty for seasoning bean dishes, rice dishes, whole grains, soups, stews, sauces, marinades, and pickling brines. Ground turmeric can also be used to add appetizing color to a breakfast scramble, a creamy batch of mac and cheese, and even cakes and desserts.

What is the best way to consume turmeric? ›

Turmeric is best absorbed when taken with food. Fatty foods, such as eggs and vegetable oils (like coconut oil or olive oil), are the best to combine with turmeric. This is because they contain a compound called lecithin. Lecithin helps the body absorb turmeric.

What foods taste best with turmeric? ›

Our pure turmeric in ground form is a lively partner for infusing curries, soups, stews, rubs, marinades and vegetable and rice dishes with beautiful color and citrusy aroma.

What Cannot be mixed with turmeric? ›

Blood-thinning medications

Turmeric may strengthen the effects of these drugs, raising the risk of bleeding. Blood thinners include warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin, among others.

What should not be taken with turmeric? ›

Taking turmeric supplements may put you at a higher risk of getting kidney stones. Don't take turmeric supplements if: You're taking aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil , Motrin ), or Acetaminophen (Tylenol ). Turmeric may lessen the effects of these medications.

What makes turmeric taste better? ›

Although turmeric can be used by itself, the best thought is always to use it as a background to other flavours: if you find you have added too much and created unwanted bitterness, counteract this with lime or lemon juice rather than with any sweetness.

How to use turmeric to lose belly fat? ›

Add a dash of turmeric and ginger to the water and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Drink the tea daily to see effective results. Ginger acts as a natural appetite suppressant, which is one of the best ways to lose weight.

Can I just sprinkle turmeric on my food? ›

Yes, adding turmeric powder to your soups, sautéed vegetables, boiled potatoes ( if you do not mind the white potatoes becoming yellow) or as a spice on any other one pot cooking you make is an excellent idea.

Is 1 teaspoon of turmeric a day enough? ›

Daily Dosage of Turmeric

Here are a few helpful tips to get you started. Sayer uses 1/2 - 1.5 teaspoons per day of the dried root powder, certified organic. A typical dose of supplemental curcumin is about 250mg per day, and often increased when dealing with a condition.

Is it better to take turmeric in the morning or at night? ›

Studies show that the effects of turmeric aren't altered by the time of day when you take it. Do you already take vitamins and supplements to start your day? Then you can consider taking your turmeric then. Turmeric can be taken as a tea, as a smoothie, as a spice added to your meal, or as capsules and softgels.

Should I put turmeric in my coffee? ›

Turmeric is good in coffee as a flavor enhancer; plus, it offers quite a few health benefits on top of the added spice notes. Ready to try out healthy golden milk turmeric coffee for yourself? Check out Golden Ratio's low-acid coffee with turmeric, vanilla, and black pepper for a super boost to your morning routine.

What spice is closest to turmeric? ›

Saffron: With its golden color and delicate floral flavor, saffron can serve as a luxurious substitute for turmeric in certain recipes. Use a small pinch of saffron threads in rice dishes, soups, and sauces for a similar color and subtle flavor enhancement.

What spices compliment turmeric? ›

The earthy quality of turmeric means that this spice pairs well with a variety of other spices, herbs, and flavors. Bold spices like cumin, cloves, mustard seed, and pepper are all excellent pairings for turmeric. Often, turmeric will be found in combination with at least 4-5 other spices.

What pairs well with tumeric? ›

Turmeric tastes best when coupled with strong, warming spices, so pumpkin pie spice - which is made with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice - fits the bill perfectly. Use pumpkin pie spice to add flavour to your turmeric-infused golden milk.

What is the best turmeric combination for inflammation? ›

Turmeric supplements often contain other ingredients to help enhance absorption, such as black pepper or fenugreek. Some turmeric supplements may also contain ginger, which is also known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Should you juice or blend turmeric? ›

Although it may be tempting to drag out the curry powder and dump it into your blender, the spice actually does not contain enough curcumin to be beneficial to your diet. Juicing with turmeric root would be a better option for maximizing the health benefits of the spice.

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