Turmeric is a spice that is widely used in various foods, especially in Indian food. What if one day you run out of stock of turmeric in the kitchen, of course you will be stopped from preparing your favorite delicious food. But don’t panic, because there are a number of herbs and other food ingredients that can replace turmeric in your cooking.
Although the benefits are different from turmeric, turmeric substitute can be an alternative when you make food with turmeric.
Usually, the use of turmeric in food is aimed at getting antioxidants and anti-inflammation from turmeric. In addition, turmeric also gives flavor and a little bit spicy. But in some situations, people use turmeric in order to get a bright yellow color.
With a variety of purposes and objectives for using turmeric, you can try some of the following turmeric substitutes. We have collected several herbs that can replace turmeric when you run out of stock in the kitchen.
Best Substitutes for Turmeric
There are some good herbs to replace turmeric in making food. These include saffron, curry powder, cumin, annatto, and paprika.
Also see: Top 4 Substitutes for Basil
1. Saffron
Saffron is a spice which is very expensive, but there are also some people who are looking for saffron to replace turmeric in order to bring delicious food with turmeric ingredients. The similarity between the two types of spices in cooking is the bright yellow color that can arouse appetite. But in terms of content and nutrition is very different between the two.
But if only to present color, of course using turmeric is cheaper and more efficient. Unless you run out of turmeric, and want to replace saffron with saffron.
2. Curry powder
Curry spice is a mixture of various spices including turmeric powder. So, because curry powder is made from several herbs, then if you lack turmeric or want to replace turmeric, you can use curry powder. Curry powder gives food the same color as turmeric and it also provides almost the same health benefits.
Besides containing turmeric, curry powder also contains chili, cumin. Then it has a higher capsaicin content than curcumin.
3. Ginger
Ginger is the same plant and it is still in the same family as turmeric namely “Zingiberaceae” and contains a number of overlapping properties.
Among the similarities with turmeric is that both contain anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant. The benefits and efficacy between the two are very different. Ginger is great for digestive problems, while turmeric is good in dealing with and preventing cancer, heart health and weight loss.
4. Mustard Powder
Mustard powder is another substitute for turmeric, it has a mild taste of turmeric. In addition, it can also emit colors like turmeric. If you are cooking curry, then in addition to using turmeric or as a substitute for turmeric you can use mustard powder.
5. Cumin
Another best substitute for turmeric is cumin. Cumin flavor is stronger than turmeric. The use of cumin must also be in the same concentration as turmeric in order to produce an extraordinary taste.
Read also: Best Substitute for Ghee
6. Annatto
Annatto is another herb that can replace turmeric, sometimes also called “Cuban turmeric”, the color is bright as the color of turmeric. This herb also contains active ingredients that are beneficial to health.
7. Yellow Mustard Seeds
Following this, the substitute for turmeric is yellow mustard seeds, it has the same taste and color as turmeric so it is very good in replacing turmeric. But its use may sometimes not be the same as the size or measurement of turmeric because it differs in consistency. Very good to use in curry food or soup.