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How much turmeric root should I use to replace 1 tsp turmeric powder?

Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Recorded

This event was on August 26, 2025

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Diane Dankert

How much turmeric root should I use to replace 1 tsp turmeric powder?

Answer

The first thing I'm going to, to remind everyone of, of is that if you're going to use turmeric root, you wanna make sure that it is organic. And my own preference is to buy turmeric that is grown in the United States because I understand the agricultural aspects of how things need to be grown, especially if they are, um, to be used in a dish and they are organic. So I think that, uh, what I remember is that three tablespoons of raw spice equals one teaspoon of dried spice. So that is what I would look at for the turmeric and I like to peel it and then I use a microplane to grade it so that you can get the maximum flavor and it seeps out a little, uh, uh, juice that will add more flavor. But I'm gonna offer one more thing, Diane, is to start small and then if you need to level up, add a little bit more as you go. So I would start off with, uh, you know, uh, maybe using one tablespoon and then see what you think of the flavor. 'cause I personally find a market difference between, uh, powdered turmeric and fresh turmeric.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.