Like many households in Pakistan, we compile a monthly grocery list. The list would always include a dozen or so herbs and spices, including a small packet of turmeric powder. Not anymore.

Turmeric, or haldi as it is locally known, is one of the most widely used spices in Subcontinental culture. Traditionally, it is used as a remedy for a range of ailments, including cold and flu-like symptoms and gives popular local dishes such as karrhi pakorra [fritters in creamy yogurt sauce] and taheri [yellow rice dish with potatoes] their characteristic yellow colour.

It is also applied to a young woman’s skin to make it ‘glow’ before her wedding and is traditionally served to the groom mixed with milk. Turmeric’s rhizome has compounds like curcumin and essential oils that have been studied for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

What surprised me the most was that I could grow it at home. It happened by accident the first time, the result of an experiment in a broken water tub. The strong........

© Dawn (Magazines)