Turmeric Tamarind Juice

This is a potent brew I am sure.  In the meantime it provides a simple way to use and apply tamarinds and the turmeric root.  Both are becoming generally available to purchase and as always we must be led slowly through the best way to prepare.

I have posted a couple of times on the virtues of turmeric and this at least gives access to the fresh root.  It looks a lot like ginger.  In any case we all need to give it a try and perhaps fit it into our diets.

Enjoy exploring.

A Recipe for Turmeric Juice: A Powerful Healing Beverage

BY CHLOE PARK

NOVEMBER 10, 2012 11:54 AM EST

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6780/A-Recipe-for-Turmeric-Juice-A-Powerful-Healing-Beverage.html

When I lived in Bali, I fell in love with the Balinese-style turmeric juice, Jamu Kunyit. 

Turmeric is known to be one of the most powerful healing herbs. It is great for bones and joints as it has anti-inflammatory properties. It prevents metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer. 

Turmeric's also a natural liver detoxifier and a kidney cleanser, and it speeds metabolism and aids in weight management. Plus it heals and alleviates conditions of depression, psoriasis, damaged skin, arthritis and more. 

For these reasons, turmeric is ubiquitous both in Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.

Here's what you'll need to get started: 

·         5-7 inches turmeric 

·         5-7 tamarind

·         2 lemons

·         raw honey

·         water

·         blender

·         strainer

·         bowl

·         mason jar(s) or other glass jar with lid

1. Peel turmeric. Your fingers will turn yellow. Don’t worry! All-natural dish soap gets it right out. If your cutting board or countertop get stained, slather on dish soap and rub it in. Let it soak in for 5 min or longer, then scrub with water and sponge. The turmeric stain will vanish!

2. Crack and open tamarind. Make sure you get all the inner roots off, too. We’re only going to use the inner fruit.

3. Fill a big pot with water, put peeled tumeric in and let it boil for at least 20 minutes until the water becomes a rich and vibrant marigold color.

4. While the tumeric water is boiling, get a pan and pour 1 inch of water in with the peeled tamarind. Move the fruit around with a wooden utensil, mix it in with the water so it can melt and dissolve into a jam like texture. More water shouldn’t be needed, but if it’s lookin’ a bit dry, pour water in as needed.

By this time, you should be able to see the little seeds coming out. When the texture looks soft, turn heat off and let it cool down.

5. Go back to the tumeric water. By now, the color should look ready. Pour a little bit of cold water to lower the temperature. Take the turmeric water and pour it into the blender with the tumeric. We boiled it so the root could soften and have more flavor, now it’s ready to buzz in the blender for even more flavor and richness! Blend, blend, blend. The color now should look like an extra extra fiery marigold.

6. Go back to the tamarind in the pan. Pour substance into the strainer that is placed on top of a small bowl to catch the tamarind. Swish the jam like substance around in the strainer with the wooden utensil-- we only want to use the soft bits of the fruit. No seeds, no seed peels.

7. Pour the tamarind that has been caught in the bowl into the blender with the tumeric water. Buzz it around again.

8. We’re almost done. Squeeze your lemons into the blender. Now take the blender and pour your yummy juice into your mason jar(s). Add honey to taste, close with lid, shake it up to mix.

9. Store in fridge up to 3-4 days and drink daily! 

Enjoy!

Turmeric Tamarind, fantastic pain relief from the Ancestral

http://takadakatakata.blogspot.ca/2009/11/turmeric-tamarind-fantastic-pain-relief.html

Long years ago, Curcuma domestica, which known as turmeric, often found in the yard. However, today we can not easily find these medicinal plants. The plant is very much beneficial. We can use its rhizome as food supplements and as medicine. We can also use the leaves as a vegetable. Substances contained in the rhizome are proved to have many health benefits.

Rhizomes of Curcuma domestica plants contain many curcuminoid compounds. This compound is an active substance that can be used as herbal medicine. There are three types curcuminoid contained in turmeric, they are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and besdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is a compound that has antioxidant activity that is more powerful than the other two compounds. Meanwhile, besdemethoxycurcumin can inhibit the release of bile acids that make us feel full. This compound neutralizes the effect of curcumin which is able to increase our appetite.

Recently, the researchers looked turmeric to be used as a pain relief. Several studies have shown that curcuminoid in turmeric can reduce pain. Curcuminoid effect as a pain relief is not inferior when compared with the analgesic effects of some synthetic drugs such as peroxicam, an analgesic from the group Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammation Drug (NSAID). Several studies have shown that there was no significant difference between the pain reduction effects of NSAIDs and Curcuma. In fact, curcuminoid have more action points than NSAIDs in reducing pain. If NSAIDs relieve pain by inhibiting cyclooxigenase enzyme, curcuminoid can act more than that. Curcuminoid reduce pain through lipooxigenase and cyclooxigenase inhibition, inhibition of TNF-alpha production, and antioxidant properties which can reduce inflammation.

Analgesic from NSAID group had some terrible side effects. One side effect of NSAIDs is stomach bleeding. The effect is very frightening because it is hidden effects. Most people who consume NSAIDs do not feel the symptoms of stomach bleeding. However, when they examined more deeply, there are some bleeding in their stomach. In addition, NSAIDs also have adverse effects on the liver. This can be seen from the increase in some liver enzymes like ALT and AST after the consumption of NSAIDs.

Unlike the NSAIDs that cause side effects in the stomach and liver. Curcuminoid has a beneficial effect for stomach and liver. This secondary metabolites from Curcuma domestica does not cause stomach bleeding. This active substance is precisely to protect the stomach by inhibiting the growth of bacteria Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes injury to the stomach. Curcuma also proven can protect liver cells from damage.

Long before the existence of studies on Curcuma, our ancestors already use turmeric as a pain relief drugs. Turmeric tamarind is used to reduce pain during menstruation period, which medically termed as dysmenorrhea. Why turmeric is taken together with the tamarind? In addition to creating a more delicious taste, it has the benefit of tamarind. Curcuminoid is a volatile substance. This substance is stable when it is in an acidic environment. The acidic environment generated by the tamarind will stabilize curcuminoid tamarind contained in turmeric. Tamarind also has the anesthetic effect that further increased the benefits of turmeric as a pain relief.