Center for Applied Nutrition Blog

This healthful and delicious vegetarian dish contains the spice turmeric - you might use turmeric already, or maybe you've had it in Indian curries - it is a fragrant spice with a beautiful, deep yellow color and a rich, earthy flavor.  Did you know it has been used for centuries for its health benefits?  

Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry 
Yield: 7 servings, each about 1 cup 

Ingredients 

• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp  salt
• 1/4 tsp  black pepper
• 1/8 tsp  ground red pepper, less if you prefer
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 Tbsp  extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped into large pieces
• 1 1/2  teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 14 fl oz vegetable broth  
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 sweet potatoes, washed, not peeled, and cubed
• 2 15.5-oz cans  chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas 
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion; reduce heat to medium, and cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. 
3. Stir in ginger and garlic;  cook 1-2 more minutes. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Stir in sweet potato and chickpeas. Cover partially and cook over med-low heat, about 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, stirring from time to time. 
5. Add peas and spinach, stir, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.  

Turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant, a member of the ginger family.  The root is what is mostly used, and it contains phytochemicals called curcuminoids that have anti-inflammatory properties.  One of these is curcumin - you will see the terms curcumin and curcuminoids used interchangably, though in actuality curcumin is just one of the curcuminoids.  No matter!  What we need to know is that curcumin seems to protect against anti-inflammatory diseases by suppressing inflammatory mediators in the body, and by mopping up unhealthful free radicals.  It is being studied with regard to possible beneficial effects in certain cancers, diabetes, infectious diseases, and both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  More research is needed, but curcumin is known to be safe, and it is a good idea to get some into your diet!  

Very exciting:  in a pilot study with people with inflammatory bowel disease, both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients were given curcumin daily for 2-3 months.  Most of them showed improvement both immunologically and in their inflammatory response.   Most experienced improvement of symptoms (less abdominal pain and cramping, less frequent and more formed bowel movements).  Some of the patients were able to decrease or come off of their medications.  

The possibility of improved health from curcumin is exciting, but there is a practical concern.  Curcumin has poor  bioavailability - in other words, most of it is not absorbed and available for use in the body.  Here is what you can do to maximize your intake of curcumin:  

Use turmeric generously - while there is some curcumin in curry powders, you will get the most from turmeric, easily bought in the spice section as a powder.  As with all spices, check the expiration date on the bottle, because they lose their strength over time.  

Turmeric goes well with lentils, vegetables, brown rice and other grains, soups, chicken, fish, and shellfish.    Experiment with it, and find the amount that you like to use in different dishes.  

In some  stores (i.e., Whole Foods), whole turmeric root can be purchased, and you can wash, slice, and sauté these little roots with vegetables, a stew, or in a stir fry.  

There are some substances, called adjuvants, that can increase the absorption of curcumin.  Try to have these with your turmeric-containing dishes, or at least in the same meal:  

• Piperine, found in black pepper.  It has been shown to create a 2,000% increase in the bioavailability of curcumin. 

• Quercetin, found in capers, onions, hot green chili peppers, red leaf lettuce, kale, foods with dark red or blue pigments - cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and apples. 

• Genistein, found in soybeans and soy products like tofu

• Eugenol, found in cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and basil.
  Note - do NOT buy eugenol oil (sometimes called clove oil) - it can be toxic at even low concentrations.  Get it instead from using the spices that contain it - you will not get too much that way, and will get the health benefits. 

Also, cook your turmeric-containing dishes with foods that contain healthful fats such as olive oil, fatty fish, avocados, nuts, and seeds, as these also increase the absorption of curcumin.  

Reference - Holt PR, Katz S, Kirshoff R. Curcumin therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study. Dig Dis Sci. 2005;50(11):2191-2193.