Trikatu Powder

Trikatu is an Ayurvedic blend of three pungent spices: black pepper, long pepper and ginger. The name comes from Sanskrit and means 'three spices'. It is bold, spicy and warming, with a layered heat, the sharp bite of black pepper first, then the slower, sweeter burn of long pepper, and dry ginger behind both.

The three are ground together, giving a fine grey-brown powder with more depth than pepper alone.

How to use it

In the kitchen Trikatu seasons soups, stews, curries and stir-fries with a robust, fiery kick; start with a quarter teaspoon for four servings, as it is hotter than ground pepper. It is also steeped into warm herbal teas, and blended into traditional Ayurvedic tonics and herbal pastes. The technique tip: add it in the last few minutes of cooking rather than at the start. The pungency of pepper and long pepper is volatile and fades with long simmering, so a late addition keeps the heat sharp and the aroma present.

Details

Also known as

Trikatu Powder, Three-Spice Blend, Trikatu Churna, Katutraya Churna, Trijataka Churna, Trikatu Choornam, Trijataka Triphala Churna, Trikatu Rasayanam, Trikatu Guggulu, Katutraya Churna