Turmeric is used widely as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine.

Ayurveda is a system of medicine with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent.

(Source of Information: Wikipedia)

Turmeric, the Indian saffron or the golden spice; is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric.

I add turmeric powder in almost all the recipes; with minuscule quantity of it in vegetarian food recipes and in reasonable quantity in non-vegetarian food recipes, because turmeric powder should not be consumed in large amounts for its possible side effects.