Health · 4 min read · 12 Oct 2026
Three kitchen tests to check your spices at home
A glass of water tells you more about your haldi, mirch and kali mirch than the label does.
Spice adulteration is old news in India, but most of us still buy masala on trust. The good news: a few quick tests, based on the home checks FSSAI recommends in its DART guide, can catch the most common problems.
1. Haldi in a glass of water
Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a glass of warm water and leave it without stirring. Pure haldi settles at the bottom and leaves the water a light yellow. If the water turns a strong, bright yellow straight away, the powder may contain added colour.
2. Mirch powder on water
Sprinkle red chilli powder on the surface of a glass of water. Added colour leaves red streaks running down through the water. Pure chilli powder floats for a while and colours the water only slowly.
3. Kali mirch, sink or float
Drop a handful of black peppercorns into a glass of water. Real peppercorns sink. Light, shrivelled ones that float can be dried papaya seeds, an old and common filler.
These tests are a first check, not a lab report. That's why every Sri Sarayu batch goes to an NABL-accredited lab before it is packed, and why the QR on the pack shows you the result.
By the Sri Sarayu kitchen team
