Haldi Ubtan^Preview

Before soap arrived, there was ubtan — a paste of ground pulses and spice worked over the skin and rubbed away, taking the day with it. This is the formula as it is still made in Rajasthani households on the morning of a wedding, minus the parts that were only ever superstition.

Stone-ground chickpea flour does the lifting. Sangli turmeric does the calming. A little raw milk solid keeps it from stripping. Mix a spoon with water or curd in your palm, leave it on for four minutes, and take it off with your hands rather than a cloth.

No preservative, because there is no water in the jar. Keep it dry and it keeps for a year.