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Turmeric Chicken (ไก่อบขมิ้น)

Sa-was-dee Kah. (Hello in Thai using the female version)

I love spices and herbs. I hardly imagine living without them. My life would be tasteless. I am so grateful for growing up with the Thai cuisine even though I did not know how to cook when I was there.

I remembered once my mom told me that chicken was the most boring meat. It did not have any flavor like pork, cow, or the other red meat, and I believed my mom like a good daughter should. I mostly ate pork and water buffalo until I met my husband. He told me about how much cholesterol is in the red meat compared with chicken. Since then my primary protein source from meat is chicken.

Now, I think my mom might be a little bit exaggerated at that time. It is not about the chicken, but it is about how you prepare it. Grilled chicken wings, drumsticks, and thighs are one of my favorite foods. I like roasted meats, so this recipe is done using an oven.

Choosing the right chicken

I bought chicken drumsticks from a grocery store. The reason that I picked the drumsticks because it is not too small like wings and not too big like thighs. Also, I can take the skin out to remove some extra fat and calories that I do not need. You may also want to go with lean chicken breasts instead of the leg for a healthier cut. I just chose thighs because I love them so much.

I have heard that people tend to eat more when they are in a warm, colorful room or see or are surrounded by the warm color like or orange, yellow, and red. I decided to marinate my drumsticks with Turmeric.

The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric

Turmeric is a root herb with a bright yellow color under its skin. In Thai kitchen, we use it fresh for stir-fry or soup and powder for marinating meat. Turmeric has a yellow pigment called Curcumin which is the most effective anti-inflammatory compound in the world. It benefits people who have arthritis, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease. An antioxidant in Curcumin can prevent the colon cancer, and also the oxidation of cholesterol in the body which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Some considerations in my preparation

I marinated the drumsticks with turmeric, garlic, cilantro, oyster sauce, seasoning sauce, and Truvia. The drumsticks came out in a beautiful yellow color with a great aroma of turmeric, garlic, and cilantro. The chicken might be a little bit salty if it does not have any side dish. But I think the recipe is perfect for eating with rice or quinoa, steamed vegetable, or any non-seasoning side dish.