Recipe: Turmeric Sweet Potatoes [Paleo]

When it comes to prepping meals ahead of time I always start off with good intentions, but sometimes I let things get away from me and end up missing out on prep days. So any recipe that’s easy to whip up in a batch and stick in the fridge is a good thing in my book.

My mum showed me how to make these a couple of years ago and they have been a staple in my weekly menus ever since. They heat up really well or are good cold, making them the absolute perfect addition to a work lunch.

The addition of turmeric to the dish means that as well as being tasty it is also packed with health benefits especially for those with auto immune diseases. For over 4,500 years this spice has been celebrated for its healing properties and has been used as a medicine in a number of cultures thanks to the curcumin which gives it the beautiful, vibrant yellow colour.

Packed with anti inflammatory properties this spice has been shown to protect healthy cells from cancer-causing agents  by destroying mutated cells before they have a chance to spread. It also lowers cholesterol and prevents heart disease.

Turmeric is an important part of Ayurvedic medicine and is used in a number of healing practices. Ayurveda – which translates to “science of life” – is an ancient Indian medical practice that utilises the natural healing powers of herbs and spices that is still used today. It is said that inhaling the fumes from burning turmeric can ease congestion while the juice from turmeric root helps to heal wounds and bruises and a paste made from it helps with skin conditions including chicken pox, blemishes – and even smallpox in the past.

In Hinduism the turmeric plant is revered, it is used as part of the wedding ceremony to dye a string known as the mangala sutra which is placed around the brides neck to symbolise her married status, it is considered to be the equivalent of exchanging wedding rings in Western culture. Thanks to the root’s sacred status it is worn as an amulet to protect against evil spirits.

The vibrant yellow colour of the spice is also used to dye clothing, it is what give Buddhist robes their stunning saffron colour (hence its nickname: Indian Saffron) – though it’s not always clothes it dyes, I’ve lost a number of tuppaware to the yellow hues of the turmeric dye.

I use turmeric to help with my psoriatic arthritis as it reduces the inflammation in my joints, it also helps with the itching and the pain from my psoriasis. I like to put a little bit in most things I cook, from stews and soups to potatoes and quinoa dishes, it’s brilliant and I have noticed notable differences.

Unsurprisingly this root spice is part of the ginger family, it has the same spicy, slightly peppery flavour. The plant, which originated in South East Asia, found it’s way across China and into Africa over the years, and being a seedless plant its great travels are completely dependant on people – a true testament to how powerful this spice can be.

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Ingredients

• 1 large Sweet potato peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 2tsp tumeric
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

How to

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan until warm – not smoking
2. Add the onions and cook until fragrant
3. Add the remaining ingredients, turn down the heat and cover, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft and cooked all the way through.

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