Which Spices go Well with Turmeric?

Quick Answer: Which spices go well with turmeric?

Turmeric goes well with a variety of spices, including cardamom, cumin, coriander, black pepper, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds, chili powder, and fenugreek. It depends on the personal taste preference and demands of the dish. Turmeric and ginger are a classic combination with many health benefits. Similarly, black pepper may enhance the bioavailability of turmeric or curcumin.

Alia, one of the readers of Turmericforhealth asked us if we can provide a list of spices that go well with the use of turmeric in preparing food.

Alia is new to using turmeric in regular diet. She started reading about turmeric to take care of her never-ending cold problems. She landed upon the portal looking for how turmeric can help her.

She started taking turmeric milk and supplements and now feels much better!

This basically increased her curiosity to use turmeric in regular diet. Using tips from the portal and some youtube video she has started cooking with turmeric now (do share your recipes for sure!).

Using tips from the portal and some youtube video she has started cooking with turmeric now (do share your recipes for sure!).

So, Alia, there is no hard and fast rule to say use this and do not use that in the case of turmeric.

A lot depends upon your liking in terms of taste as every spice will add its own flavor.

But as you have asked, we will just list down some very common spices we use alongside turmeric.

• Cardamom
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Black pepper
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mustard seed
• Cinnamon (Read : Why turmeric and cinnamon is a great combo)
• Fennel seed
• Chili powder
• Fenugreek

And many many more ..

We feel ginger and turmeric’s combination is amazing in terms of the health benefits they both provide to our bodies.

They are used together in several Ayurvedic medicines too.

What herbs go with turmeric?

Turmeric pairs well with many herbs, including cilantro, curry leaves, lemongrass, and dill.[1]

Cilantro is a herb with flavors of parsley and citrus. It has tender and aromatic leaves adding flavor to a lot of Indian and Mexican dishes with turmeric.[2]

Lemongrass is citrusy and adds a light, tangy taste to the dishes. It is used with turmeric to make curries and teas.[3]

Curry leaves are green with a distinctive aroma and taste that may be used fresh, dried, or powdered like turmeric.[4]

Dill has a warm, sharp flavor with carminative properties. It may be used as fresh and dried. It combines well with turmeric.[5]

What flavors go with turmeric?

Turmeric has a subtly bitter flavor that complements well with many herbs and spices.[6]

As it has a mild flavor, it blends with complimentary strong flavor profiles, including cinnamon, pepper, cumin, and ginger.[7] [8]

Cumin has aromatic, earthy, sweet-scented properties and with turmeric, it may add warm flavor to dishes.[9]

Cinnamon has a fragrant aroma and black pepper has a pungent aroma. They lend a nice aroma and color to the dishes when used with turmeric.[10] [11]

Also, it goes well with coconut milk. Turmeric-coconut milk pair is used to made many curries and immunity drink, golden milk.[12] [13]

Do cumin and turmeric go together?

Cumin is a spice with a sweet, pungent, and sharp flavor. It is used widely for its aromatic and antioxidant properties. It is an astringent, hunger stimulant, and carminative.[14]

Turmeric has a mildly bitter flavor that has been used traditionally to purify the blood, treat stomach aches, reduce cholesterol level, carminative, and as a health tonic.[15]

Turmeric and cumin have been used together commonly in a lot of Indian dishes. It is popularly used in making curry powder, meat dishes, and rice. Both have different flavor profiles but their flavors complement each other giving heat, pungency, and earthiness to the dish.[16]

What seasonings go well with turmeric?

Turmeric is an ingredient of different seasoning mix, including curry powder, garam masala, Moroccan spice blend, and many other Indian spice blends.[18]

Freshly ground black pepper adds flavor and characteristic heat to many dishes. It goes well with turmeric. The piperine, the bioactive component of pepper has been shown to increase the bioavailability of turmeric.[20]

Paprika is a popular seasoning added to soups, rubs, marinades, and sauces. It pairs well with turmeric to season the chicken and roasted vegetables lending a complex flavor.[21] [22]

Coriander and cumin render earthy and aromatic flavor to the dishes. It compliments turmeric in bringing out the savory flavor of roasted meats, rice,  and vegetables.

A note on Black pepper

We would specifically like to add a note regarding black pepper. One drawback of using turmeric or curcumin is its low bioavailability.

This term in simple language means only a small percentage of turmeric is actually absorbed and the rest is flushed out.

This is where black pepper can be of help, thus black pepper not only gels in terms of taste with turmeric but also enhances its medicinal benefits in some sense.

Read detailed article on turmeric + black pepper benefits here.

Hope the list proves to be helpful to everyone. If you have used turmeric with other spices, do comment and we will update the article accordingly.

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