TURMERIC VS FENUGREEK
Turmeric and fenugreek both belong to the bitter category of spices and so perform a key function in both food and in health: in masala, turmeric and fenugreek create structural support for other prettier aromatics in the pan; in health, these two spices aid the deep gut structure and help to ensure a strong and healthy digestive system. Ayurveda considers the digestive system the key to health and longevity, and so maintaining a good relationship to our systems via these two spices is a worthy investment of time and thought in the kitchen.
See below for a few tips on how to use these two spices outside of traditional Indian recipes so you might make them a part of your regularly rotated recipes.
TURMERIC:
For a bitter spice, turmeric is also both round and warm which means it is digestible for children and relatively easy to incorporate into non-traditional dishes. Try it like this:
A half teaspoon of turmeric powder in any ragu, minced meat cook, or bolognese-style meal.
Fresh turmeric grated into the base of soups over winter and gently cooked alongside onion, garlic, leek, and carrot.
A seasoning of 1 tsp pink salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1.5 tsp cumin seed, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 3/4 tsp of sumac that can be mixed and used to season roast vegetables or meats.
FENUGREEK:
As a bitter spice, fenugreek powder is blunt and quite bitter. It’s viewed by many I come across in spice classes as difficult to incorporate into daily kitchen cooking cycles. Try it like this:
Use fenugreek powder in meat-heavy slow cooks with very rich tomato or aromatic bases that will benefit from a little “tightening”. Fenugreek powder will aid in cinching rich flavour and making it more digestible.
Fenugreek powder in very small quantities - as little as one third of a teaspoon - can be used with milk chocolate and cream-based desserts to alleviate density without disturbing richness. Try incorporating fenugreek powder in caramel or chocolate-based cheesecakes, or milk chocolate mousse or dessert fools: apply it to the chocolate melting process.
Fenugreek powder used with seasoning when cooking oily or rich fish will clarify fish flavour.