Spices of Telangana

Spices of Telangana

In Telangana regions Tamarind, red chilies and Asafoetida(Hing) are predominantly used in Telangana cooking. Roselle is a major staple used extensively in curries and pickles

Unique to the region, Pachi Pulusu is the signature dish of Telangana. Unlike rasam, Pacchi Pulusu is raw and uncooked. Except for tempering the juice extracted from the soaked tamarind, this dish doesn't ask for much. Sliced onions and salt also go into this Pacchi Pulusu before tempering.

Chilli is a fruit which belongs to Capsicum genus. It has many varieties which are differentiated on its pungency measured on Scoville Scale. Chilli fruit when ripened and dried becomes red chilli, which is further grounded to form red chilli powder. These are categorized as hot pepper.The chilli fruit is hollow with many seeds. They are found in different colours like green, orange, white, yellow and red. Pungency varies in different varieties. Red chillies get their colour from a colouring compound called capsanthin and have a hot, pungent taste due to a chemical called capsaicin.

Asafoetida,It is used widely all over the world as a flavoring spice in a variety of foods. Traditionally it is used for the treatment of various diseases, such as asthma, epilepsy, stomach-ache, flatulence, intestinal parasites, weak digestion and influenza.Asafoetida is a plant that has a bad smell and tastes bitter. It is sometimes called "devil's dung." People use asafoetida resin, a gum-like material, as medicine. Asafoetida resin is produced by solidifying juice that comes out of cuts made in the plant's living roots.

Telangana is the largest producer of turmeric in the country. In Telangana, the four districts Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad account for around 90% of the production of turmeric in the State and this area houses the important turmeric markets in the country. Turmeric is a major spice crop of Telangana state grown in area of 0.56 Lakh Ha, with a production of 3.05 lakh MTs and stands 1st in Turmeric cultivation in the country.

In a first, Kashmiri saffron has successfully been grown in telangana. Hyderabad-based startup UrbanKisaan has successfully grown Kashmiri saffron for the first time in Telangana and the pilot farming of the spice has shown positive results.