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Chitrarattai is one of the many native plants of our subcontinent that virtually holds a medicinal chest in it. In this case, it is the plant’s pungent root tissues which store medicinal power. Used in herbal formulations to treat many conditions like cold, cough, and even stomach complaints and indigestion, this plant, commonly known as the ‘Smaller Galangal’ is a valuable ingredient of both Siddha and Ayurvedic medicine.

You can harvest the plant’s roots, sun-dry it and store it for future use. Traditional medicinal practices advocate drinking an extract prepared by boiling in water two to four grams of the dried and powdered roots to cure cold and cough. Chitrarattai thrives with daily watering of about a litre of water everyday.

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