Wild species of Curcuma as potential source of starch powder for traditional dishes

Abstract

The genus Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae), distributed throughout south and south east Asia with about 104 species, is a minor tuber crop and an under-utilized source of starch. In India, south India is the main center of distribution of the genus. Some of the rhizome producing Curcuma species are excellent sources of starch and are utilized by local or tribal people for the preparation of different traditional dishes. In view of this, in the present study five different rhizomatous wild Curcuma species from south India were collected and their rhizome starch powder was isolated by traditional method with slight modifications. Nutritional composition with respect to the total carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, fiber, ash and energy content of the isolated starch powder was determined. Using the isolated starch powder, different traditional dishes/beverages of south India were prepared viz. Ela-ada (C. amada), Gruel (C. aeruginosa), Halwa (C. zanthorrhiza), Payasam (C. zedoaria) and Sarbat (C. aromatica) and their sensory features with respect to appearance, colour, taste, aroma and overall acceptability were evaluated. The results revealed the suitability of Curcuma starch in traditional dishes and is endorsed to widen its food application and value addition.