Turmeric Powder | விரலி மஞ்சள் தூள்

Turmeric powder, manjal thool (மஞ்சள் தூள்) in Tamil, is the yellow powder that goes into curries, dal, poriyal and rice in almost every Tamil kitchen, and this one is ground from virali manjal, the dried finger turmeric. The label lists one ingredient, turmeric, and nothing else. It comes in 50 g and 100 g pouches and is best before 3 months of packing.

Turmeric powder in Tamil

In Tamil it is called manjal thool or manjal podi (மஞ்சள் தூள், மஞ்சள் பொடி), and in Hindi, haldi. Virali manjal (விரலி மஞ்சள்) is the dried whole root, hard and finger-shaped, that is ground into the fine yellow powder in this pouch.

Virali manjal or kasthuri manjal?

They are two different plants. Virali manjal is the turmeric that goes into food. Kasthuri manjal is wild turmeric, a separate plant that is used on the skin and is not usually cooked with. This pouch is the cooking one.

How it goes into the pot

For a curry or poriyal, add it to hot oil after the mustard and cumin have spluttered, stir for a few seconds, and add the onions or vegetables straight away, so it neither tastes raw nor burns. In dal or a soup it can go straight into the water, and for yellow rice it goes into the cooking water before it boils. Our starting measure is half a teaspoon for a pot that serves 4 to 6. Too much turns a dish bitter, so add more in small steps on the next pot.

Many of our masalas already have it

Turmeric is on the label of Chicken Kuzhambu Masala, Mutton Kuzhambu Masala, Tamarind Kuzhambu Masala and Thanjavur Rasam Powder. If you cook with one of them, taste the pot before you add extra turmeric.

Keeping it

Use it within 3 months of the packing date. Keep the pouch away from direct sunlight, press the zipper shut after each use, and take the powder out with a dry spoon.

Questions we get

Is anything else mixed in?
No. The label lists only turmeric, and says no artificial colours or flavours, no added preservatives and no added sugar. It is homemade in small batches.

Can I use it as a face pack?
It is made and labelled as a food, so we sell it for cooking only.

Why does it say 3 months when our masalas say 30 days?
The label of each product carries its own best-before period. This one is a single ground root, and its label says 3 months from packing.

தமிழில்: மஞ்சள் தூள் (விரலி மஞ்சள் தூள்) என்பது சமையலுக்கான மஞ்சள் மட்டுமே; வேறு எதுவும் சேர்க்கப்படவில்லை. எண்ணெயில் கடுகு, சீரகம் பொரிந்த பிறகு சேர்த்து சில வினாடிகள் கிளறுங்கள். 4 முதல் 6 பேருக்கு அரை தேக்கரண்டி தொடக்க அளவு. 50 g, 100 g பைகளில் கிடைக்கும்; பேக் செய்த 3 மாதத்துக்குள் பயன்படுத்தவும்.