Indian arrowroot, East Indian arrowroot
Curcuma angustifolia
Family: Zingiberaceae
What it is like
A ginger family herb. It has a rhizome. This can be 1.5 m long. It keeps growing from year to year. The plant grows about 1 m tall. The leaves are sword shaped and opposite. They are 36-37 cm long by 8-10 cm wide. The flowers are produced before the leaves. The flowers are in groups of 3 or 4 in a spike. They are funnel shaped and yellow or pink. Boat shaped bracts enclose the flower.
There are about 50 Curcuma species. They are mostly in SE Asia.
Where it is found
A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in rainforests and open gaps in dipterocarp forest. It grows up to 1,200 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The tubers/rhizomes yield starch. The arrowroot has a yellow tinge and does not thicken in boiling water. It is used in cakes and preserves. The rhizome is crushed and washed in water then allowed to evaporate and sun-dried before using in cooking. The flowering shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
It is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Rhizome, root, starch, flowers
How it is grown
It can be grown by sections of the rhizome. It can also be grown from seeds.
Its other names
Local names
Adalut, Ai chhia, Ararut gaddalu, Ararut-kizhangu, Besar, Keturi halodhi, Kodziiapa, Koova, Kunyit india, Kuturapa, Paala gunta, Palagunda, Palu kanda, Palua, Paro, Tavakhira, Tavakila, Tavakshira, Teekhur, Tikari, Tikhur, Tikor, Travancore starch, Yaipal, Yaipan