The MILLERS How to choose good chilli powder: what to check beyond price and the nearest shop To choose good chilli powder, judge the product, not the shop: check the variety named on the pack, read the ingredients for a single item (chillies), look at the colour and smell, find out when it wa... Oct 11, 2026 Purity & Adulteration
The MILLERS How to check if turmeric powder is pure at home To check turmeric powder at home, add a teaspoon to a glass of water and watch it settle. Natural powder leaves only a light yellow tint, while added colour leaves a strong yellow, according to FSSAI'... Oct 4, 2026
The MILLERS How to check if coriander powder is pure at home To check coriander powder at home, sprinkle a little on water: FSSAI's DART booklet says sawdust and powdered bran float, while pure spice leaves none on the surface. Then look, smell and taste, becau... Oct 4, 2026
The MILLERS How to check if black pepper is pure: the papaya seed test To check black pepper at home, drop a spoonful into a glass of water: FSSAI's DART booklet says pure pepper settles at the bottom while papaya seeds float. Then press a few berries, because light berr... Oct 4, 2026
The MILLERS Saffron purity: 5 home tests that actually work Real saffron dissolves slowly in cold water, tinting it golden-yellow while the threads stay red; it smells hay-like, tastes gently bitter, and leaves no oily stain when pressed. Five simple checks — ... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS Why Freshly Milled Spices Smell Stronger (Volatile Oils, Explained) Yes — ground spice loses aroma faster than whole spice, and grinding is when that loss starts. Cutting a spice open exposes far more surface to air, and the volatile oils inside begin evaporating and ... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS How Long Do Ground Spices Stay Fresh? A Shelf-Life Table for Chilli, Turmeric and Coriander Ground chilli, turmeric and coriander powder don't share one shelf life. Freshly milled, kept airtight and in the dark, chilli and coriander hold full aroma for about three to four months and turmeric... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS Ceylon Cinnamon vs Cassia: How to Tell Them Apart at Home Ceylon cinnamon is thin bark hand-rolled into a soft quill of many layers that snaps easily. Cassia — most "cinnamon" sold in India — is one thick, hard curl. They're legally different spices here, an... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS How to Read a Spice Lab Report: Moisture, Ash and Colour Explained FSSAI's spice rules set numeric ceilings for moisture and ash, and floors for volatile oil or colour, under the Food Products Standards Regulations, 2011. Chilli powder must stay under 11% moisture an... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS Cardamom and Black Pepper Grades Explained (8 mm, Bold, Malabar) Cardamom sizes such as 8 mm, 7 mm and 6 mm give the minimum pod diameter, set by the sieve used for grading. Bigger pods are usually fuller and more aromatic. India's official grades are Alleppey Gree... Oct 1, 2026
The MILLERS Kashmiri vs Guntur vs Byadgi chilli: which to use when Three red chillies dominate Indian kitchens, and they are not interchangeable. Put Guntur where Kashmiri belongs and your rogan josh is inedible. Put Kashmiri where Guntur belongs and your Andhra pick... Sep 21, 2026
The MILLERS How to spot adulterated chilli powder, turmeric and coriander at home You can screen chilli, turmeric and coriander powder at home with FSSAI's DART water tests: chilli leaves colour streaks if a dye is added, turmeric leaves a strong yellow if it is coloured, and any p... Sep 21, 2026