Turmeric is gaining in popularity this year. I was already using it a lot (I have a 1 kg bag of organic turmeric in my pantry!), but I only recently started using turmeric in other recipes that only Indian curries. For example, my favorite hot drink when I feel sick is a Roiboos tea with fresh ginger, raw honey, cayenne, lemon and ..... turmeric ! Maybe you caught my recent post, Zen turmeric pancakes w/blood orange syrup ? These are so delicious they've become one of our top morning treats ! You probably also heard about the golden milk, which is a sweet turmeric plant-based milk with a touch of black pepper.

This increasing popularity is probably due to the fact that turmeric is believed to have a potential beneficial effects including antioxydant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. By adding ginger, the bitterness of the turmeric is less present. I also add a touch of black pepper to this smoothie because studies have shown that it enhances the turmeric active compound ("curcumin") bioavailability by more then a thousand times, due to black pepper’s hot property called "piperine".

Here's a few other ways to add turmeric to your food or drinks :

Add a dash when you cook rice for a bright yellow color
Use this spice in your soups or broth
Add it to scramble eggs or omelet
Add it to your chili, spaghetti sauce and of course.... curries!
And as I said, use turmeric in pancakes, hot teas or lemony water, sweet plant-based milk and in smoothie like this delicious turmeric mango lassi!

People from all over the world come to work to Silicon Valley. Therefore, this part of Northern California is very multicultural. We are so lucky to live in a place were ethnic restaurants are everywhere and to be able to eat the best traditional indian food!

Lassi is a popular indian "smoothie" we love to drink in Indian restaurants. It is made from yogurt, water and mango pulp. This version uses coconut milk instead of the yogurt and has a few immune system/health boosters add-ins (bee pollen, raw honey and turmeric). I also added fresh mint, a pinch of cardamom and black pepper to make this smoothie fresh and a slightly spicy.

In our house, we have mango lassi in the morning. We either drink it has a smoothie with something else, or we serve it has smoothie bowls, by adding homemade granola, fresh fruits, coconut flakes, seeds or whatever we have on hand on top of it.

During hot summer days, I occasionally freeze this recipe into creamy "paletas" (popsicles)!

This thick smoothie kind of reminds me of a fruity yogurt. The smoothie itself can be vegan and dairy-free if you swap the honey for agave nectar and omit the bee pollen!

Turmeric mango lassi

Yield : 4 servings

Ingredients

1 can organic coconut milk (full fat or light coconut milk)
2 mangos (or about 3 cups frozen mango)
1 banana
1 teaspoon dried turmeric (or one-half inch fresh turmeric thinly sliced or diced)
1 tablespoon raw honey
5-6 mint leaves
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of cardamom
1 teaspoon bee pollen (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth.
Serve in a big glass or in a bowl with granola and fruits.