Trikatu - Pippali - Thippili - Piper Longum with Palm Jaggery

Long pepper, pepper, dried ginger, palm jaggery

Medicinal Benefits

Palm Jaggery - cleanser, digestive aid, mineral source - source
Pipali - Thippili  - Piper Longum

• for cough, strength and vigour, skin - easyayurveda,
• For good digestive system, liver and spleen, aphrodisiac - ayurvedhicdietsolutions

The more, i learn about thippili's medicinal benefits, the more am amazed. When we were kids, dad would do funny sandhi vicheds with thirikadugam- sukkumilaguthippili to amuse us; when we would write grocery list with pepper. We would write tamizh grocery names in english or hindi. Took me decades to write tamizh grocery names correctly in tamizh.


Initially, used to buy sillu karupatti packed in a cute box made from dried palm leaves, from khadi stores, later on switched on making it at home.


Mom takes a hammer and powders palm jaggery and dried ginger, enough to last till i go home after 1-2 months. This time, bro did the pounding task for me, to spare mom's wrists and mixie blades. Then, powdered long pepper - thippli, pepper, pounded dried ginger in mixer. This mix with palm jaggery is my starter, dessert, snack for my sweet tooth. I add more of palm jaggery, so that the spiciness is mild and add roasted gram (pottu kadalai). This snack, my own special chocolate powder, is a favourite at office with folks who can tolerate the tikshan taste of long pepper.

Dried ginger powder in supermarkets is brown, while homemade is so fragrant and whitish. When ever i go home, mom hammers this and kadukai removing core. Ever since, journalist cousin said, have ginger in morning, dried ginger at noon and haritaki aka kadukai (Terminalia chebula) at night, this palm jaggery mixture has become a regular.

From the book Pākdarpaṇa of Nala by Dr. Madhulika P.31

त्रिकटुखलनिर्माणविधिर्गुणाश्च
तक्राजमोदसंयुक्तः खलस्त्रिकटुकोद्भवः । वासितः प्रसवैः सम्यक् सुगन्धसुमनोहरैः ॥ १५३ ॥
औदरानामयान् हन्ति जठराग्निप्रवर्द्धनम् ॥ १५४ ॥

Preparation of Trikatu khal and its properties: Trikatu is mixed with buttermilk (takra) and ajamoda (perum jeeragam | carawey) and is made fragrant by adding aromatic flowers. This preparation named as trikatu khala subsides abdominal disorders and promotes the appetite.