MUCH HAS BEEN talked about turmeric and its immunity-boosting benefits. However, while most of us are comfortable adding liberal amounts of the dried condiment in our curries and such — to have it with hot water or in any other direct form definitely needs more commitment to wellness. So, when Chennai-based Gayathri Prakash suggested I try her Fresh Turmeric Root Pickle my self-preservative instincts kicked in and I quickly rustled up a thayir sadam to try out the piquant offering. Chopped finely, the tempered pieces of fresh turmeric still retained a crunch and had a distinct flavour. The winning point for me was the generous amount of green chillies thrown in that were soaking up the spices along with the vibrant orangish-yellow hued root. Well marinated, the chillies were mellowed and worked as a good foil for the strong turmeric flavour.
“My mother-in-law (originally from Palakkad) has been making this pickle for years. A couple of months ago, when I shared it with some friends it was a big hit and I started getting orders,” says Gayathri. Ever since, she has been making nearly 12 kilograms of this pickle every week! “It is a labour-intensive process and takes up to three days to make a single batch,” she shares. Sourcing all the ingredients from her family farm in Nagapattinam, Gayathri also retails the boiled rice and the urad dhal from there.
Order via Buy Natural Chennai on Instagram or pick it up from the shelves of the Farm to Table store in Anna Nagar, a bottle of 300 gms at `385.