Turmeric is part of the ginger family. It is perennial and is native to India. It is also called ‘the Golden Spice of India’.
Uses
It is used in almost all savoury dishes in India. It gives the dishes the beautiful vibrant, warm yellow colour. Taste is slightly bitter, pungent flavour with an earthy aroma.
There are two ways to use turmeric. One is with the rhizome directly, the other is to dry and powder it.
Rhizome can be used by peeling it and then grating it. When we use the rhizome directly, it gives a distinct flavour to the food.
Drying and powdering it can help to preserve it for a long time.
It is typically used in curries and dals, spice blends like garam masala, pickles and for some beverages like turmeric milk (used when a person is unwell).
The main part which is used is the rhizome. However, leaves can also be used in cooking.
Many of the steamed items are typically cooked wrapped in these leaves.
It is valued in Ayurveda for its preventive, therapeutic and curative properties.
Culturally, it has a lot of significance in India. It is used in Hindu rituals as it symbolises purity, and prosperity. Apart from this, it is used in weddings extensively. There is a haldi ceremony where a special paste including turmeric is applied to the bride and groom to ward off evil and give their skin a glowing appearance.
It is also regularly applied as face packs as it enhances the quality and colour of the skin.
Propagation and care
It is propagated with the rhizomes. It is grown across several states in India. Ideal temperature for this is 20°C – 35°C.
This grows best in sandy or clay loam soils. If planted in land, it is ideal to plant this at the start of the monsoon season or if in irrigated conditions, February onwards. If planted in a pot, ensure that it is moist throughout.
The rhizome can be harvested around 7 to 9 months after planting. This is done when the leaves turn yellow and start drying up.
Home gardening
- Buy some fresh turmeric
- Soak it in water for a couple of days
- Take a pot of about 12-14 inches wide and about 12 inches deep (pot can be plastic, terracotta or fabric; terracotta is the best bet since it breathes better)
- Fill it with clayey soil. Even red soil is fine for this
- Ensure that the pot has multiple drainage holes at the bottom
- Pick the soaked turmeric and plant it into the soil about 2 inches deep with the buds pointing upwards. Cover it lightly with soil.
- Pour the water (in which turmeric was soaked) into the pot.
- Keep the soil moist and keep it in a place where there is adequate sunlight. 4-6 hours of gentle morning sun and indirect sunlight is sufficient
- The first shoots should appear in 2-3 weeks.
Harvesting
- Once the leaves are yellow and completely dried out, stop watering them for about a week
- Loosen the edges with a flat stick or butter knife or trowel. Gently run this through the inside edge of the pot all around the circumference.
- Hold the base of the dried stems and tip the pot on its side. Firmly tap the bottom and sides of the pot with the other hand
- Slide it out while tapping it. Do not pull too hard, else the roots will break
- Once the soil block comes out, break it apart with your hands. There will be several rhizomes clustered together in the centre.
- The large bulbous central roots can be used for the next planting and the rest can be used for cooking
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