- Home
- Ayurveda library
- Turmeric (Haridra)
Turmeric (Haridra)
Haridra
The golden spice of Ayurveda: its traditional uses, dosha effects and how to cook with it for best absorption.
- PotencyHeating
Turmeric has been used in Indian cooking and Ayurveda for thousands of years. Its bright yellow colour comes from curcumin, which modern research studies extensively for anti-inflammatory activity.
Ayurvedic properties
- Taste · rasa
- Bitter, pungent
- Potency · virya
- Heating
- After digestion · vipaka
- Pungent
Effect on the doshas: Balancing for all three doshas in culinary amounts; especially helpful for Kapha.
How to use it
- Cooked in a little ghee or oil with black pepper for better absorption
- Golden milk: warm milk with turmeric, ginger, cardamom and pepper
- Added to dals, rice and vegetables
- Traditionally used in skin pastes (ubtan)
Traditional frameworks are labeled as such and are not biomedical diagnoses.
Safety
Culinary amounts are safe for most people. High-dose supplements may interact with blood thinners and diabetes medication and are not advised in pregnancy without medical advice.
Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine. This guide is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or qualified practitioner — never stop prescribed treatment based on it.
Questions
Why add black pepper to turmeric?
Piperine in black pepper greatly increases curcumin absorption.