Haldi
The Hindi word for turmeric, the golden rhizome that colours curry and marks every Indian ritual.
Also: haridra, manjal, turmeric, pasupu
Haldi is turmeric, the root of Curcuma longa, a relative of ginger. Boiled, dried and ground, it gives a bright yellow-orange powder with a mild earthy, slightly bitter taste. In India it is added to nearly every dal and vegetable dish, mostly for colour and a grounding background note. Beyond the stove it carries deep tradition: haldi paste is applied at weddings, a lamp or thread may be stained with it, and it appears in many household rites. Traditional systems such as Ayurveda have long used it, as a matter of tradition rather than medical advice. Its pigment is curcumin, which stains cloth and fingers stubbornly.