Turmeric Drink: An Indonesian Recipe With Ginger & Orange

Q: Why add black pepper to a turmeric drink?

Black pepper contains piperine. In a small 1998 study in Planta Medica, people who took curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, with piperine had much more curcumin in their blood than with curcumin alone. Those were supplement doses, far bigger than a kitchen drink.

Q: Is turmeric good for you?

A 2017 review in the journal Foods looks at how curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, may help with inflammation and oxidative stress, and notes that curcumin on its own is poorly absorbed. I think of this drink as a tasty daily ritual, not a medicine.

Indonesian Turmeric Drink With Ginger And Orange.

A Zesty Vegan Turmeric And Ginger Drink I Learned At The Bali Retreat.

Simmers For 15 To 20 Minutes. I Keep A Jug In The Fridge.

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Introduction to turmeric drink

This Indonesian turmeric drink is fresh turmeric and ginger blended with black pepper and water, simmered, then mixed with orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon and a dash of olive oil, and strained. It’s vegan and gluten free, it simmers for 15 to 20 minutes, and I have it as a small shot each day.

I learned this recipe at a Flametree Bali yoga retreat, where jugs of it come out with meals. Back home, I keep a jug in the fridge. I’ve made it taste even better by adding fresh orange juice and cinnamon.

I’m not usually one for health drinks. But this one has become a helpful part of my day, and so long as I’m moderate (hard for me!), a small shot helps me feel great. It’s quite strong, so stick to a small shot. Have too much and you may find it gets things moving a bit too well!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Turmeric drink, my daily shot

A small glass of turmeric drink, the size of my daily shot

The size of my daily turmeric drink shot, straight from the jug in my fridge.

Me and my turmeric drink at the Bali retreat

Chris Lalor with a turmeric drink at the Flametree Bali retreat

Me with a turmeric drink at the Bali retreat, where it comes out with meals.

Ingredients for turmeric drink

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio drink.

Three quarters of a cup of fresh turmeric, washed and sliced
A quarter to half a cup of fresh ginger, washed and sliced
A quarter teaspoon of cinnamon
A sprinkle of black pepper
A quarter cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
A quarter cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
About half a cup of water
Half a teaspoon of olive oil

Experiment to get a taste that works for you, but the cinnamon is key. The orange juice takes away the usual bitterness of turmeric.

Fresh turmeric grows well in the sandy soils around Dundee, in the Top End, where I live. I buy mine at the local health food shop, and it keeps in the fridge for weeks. I use turmeric in my cooking almost every day, too.

It’s grown in Bali as well. The owner of our retreat venue buys it fresh at her local market, and dries it in the sun right outside the kitchen.

Fresh turmeric in my kitchen

Fresh turmeric root in my kitchen, ready for a turmeric drink

This is what fresh turmeric looks like. It’s also a major ingredient in curries.

The turmeric drink ingredients

Fresh turmeric, ginger and other ingredients for a ginger turmeric shot

Ginger is the other key ingredient, which is why some people call it a ginger turmeric drink.

Turmeric drying in the Bali sun

Turmeric drying in the sun outside the kitchen at the Bali retreat

Turmeric from the local market, drying in the sun right outside the dining room at our Bali retreat venue.

How to make turmeric drink

Use these steps to make this Indonesian turmeric drink.

Step 1: Blend

Blend the turmeric, ginger, black pepper and water until you have a paste.
Add a little more water if it gets too thick.

Step 2: Simmer

Pour the paste into a pot and bring it to the boil.
Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3: Add the citrus and cinnamon

Add the lemon juice, orange juice and cinnamon.
Stir well.

Step 4: Strain, then chill

Pour it through a strainer to get your turmeric drink.
Add the dash of olive oil and stir.
Cool it in the fridge.
Drink it as a shot in a small glass, about a quarter of a small glass each day. Add a little honey if you need it sweeter.

A jug of turmeric drink at the retreat

A jug of turmeric drink at the Flametree Yoga Bali retreat

A jug of turmeric drink at the retreat. The Balinese cooking team, guided by the owner, makes it fresh every day, along with plenty of other delicious meals.

Is this turmeric drink vegan and gluten free?

Yes. It’s made from fresh turmeric, ginger, orange and lemon juice, cinnamon, black pepper, water and olive oil, which are all vegan and gluten free. If you sweeten it with honey, it’s no longer vegan.

Why add black pepper to a turmeric drink?

Black pepper contains piperine. In a small 1998 study in Planta Medica, people who took curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, together with piperine had much more curcumin in their blood than when they took curcumin alone.

Those were supplement doses, far bigger than what’s in a kitchen drink. But it’s a nice reason to keep the pepper in.

Is turmeric good for you?

Turmeric has been studied a lot. A 2017 review in the journal Foods looks at how curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, may help with inflammation and oxidative stress. It also notes that curcumin on its own is poorly absorbed.

So I think of this drink as a tasty daily ritual, not a medicine. If you take medicines or have a health condition, check with your doctor before having turmeric every day.

Turmeric drink: quick questions answered

How much turmeric drink do you have a day?

I have a small shot each day, about a quarter of a small glass. It’s quite strong, so don’t overdo it.

How do I make a turmeric drink less bitter?

Add fresh orange juice, which takes away the usual bitterness of turmeric, and don’t skip the cinnamon. Add a little honey if you need it sweeter.

Where can I buy fresh turmeric?

I buy mine at the local health food shop, and it keeps in the fridge for weeks. It also grows well in the sandy soils around Dundee, in the Top End.

Where does this turmeric drink recipe come from?

I learned it at a Flametree Bali yoga retreat, where the cooking team serves jugs of it with meals. I added the orange juice and cinnamon.

More Flametree Bali and turmeric recipes

Love these flavours? Try my black rice noodles stir fry with fresh turmeric, my Balinese tempeh, or my Indonesian black rice pudding.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.

Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.