Spices · Property-derived
Turmeric
Haridra·हरिद्रा
Also called: haldi, kurkuma, curcuma
Bitter and drying — classically used to clear Kapha and to purify.
How Turmeric affects your doshas
In Ayurveda a food's effect depends on your constitution. This is the lens the app uses to suggest what to favour and ease off.
| Dosha | Suitability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vata | Use sparingly | Can raise Vata — go easy when Vata runs high. |
| Pitta | Use sparingly | Can raise Pitta — go easy when Pitta runs high. |
| Kapha | Balancing | Calms Kapha — favour it when Kapha runs high. |
When to go easy
Drying and heating in quantity, so it can aggravate Vata and Pitta.
How to prepare Turmeric
Culinary amounts cooked into fat behave far more gently than large doses.
In the classical texts
Turmeric is attested in the Charaka Saṃhitā (Sutrasthana 27) — Haridra’s rasa, virya and vipaka are classically described. The DOSHA SCORES — Vata +1 especially — are synthesised from those qualities and are NOT dosha assignments quoted from Charaka. Read the properties as classical and the weighting as derived..
Property-derived. Not directly cited classically — classified from its taste, potency and qualities. Weigh it accordingly.