You’ve touched a very important point, and there is often confusion here.

In Jain aahar-niyam, the basic rule is:

• If a substance itself is not allowed (like ginger/adrak or garlic/lahsun, as roots),

then any form of it is also not allowed – fresh, dry, powder, paste, pickle, etc.

From Jain viewpoint:

1. Ginger (adrak)

- It is a root (kand-mool). - Uprooting it kills many tiny lives + the plant itself. - So, if you have taken niyam to avoid roots, then ginger powder (saunth/sonth) is also not allowed, because drying/powdering does not change its nature as a root. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Garlic (lahsun)

- It is also a root and part of the pungent roots group (onion–garlic, etc.). - So garlic powder is equally not allowed – it is the same dravya, only in powdered form. ( jainknowledge.com)

So, by strict Jain principles:

• Eating adrak is pāp → then adrak powder is also pāp.
• Eating garlic is pāp → then garlic powder is also pāp.

If in practice you see that:

• Someone says “adrak is not allowed but adrak powder is ok”,

that is a local/family habit or misunderstanding, not the correct Jain rule.

Same dravya = same rule, regardless of form.

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Why does such confusion happen?

A few common reasons:

• People think: “Powder is only for taste/medicine, so it’s lighter.”

But in Jain dharma, the type of dravya (root or not, anantkāy or not) is what matters first, not its shape.

• In some houses, they have become stricter about garlic/onion, but are still loose about ginger;

so it looks like: - garlic & its powder totally banned, - ginger sometimes allowed (especially in small “medicinal” quantity), and from there people wrongly generalise that “ginger powder is okay”.

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Correct understanding (both Digambar & Shvetambar)

• All kand-mool like potato, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, beet, radish etc. are to be avoided in normal eating. ( jainknowledge.com)
• Their powders, pastes, masala mixes are also to be avoided.
• Only limited exception: as medicine (aushadhi) during illness, in minimum necessary quantity, without desire for taste – and that too best taken with niyam and guidance. ( jainknowledge.com)

So, based on Jain principles:

• If you accept that “eating adrak is pāp”, then adrak powder should also be left.
• Garlic and its powder are equally to be avoided.

If you want a clear, simple explanation of why Jains avoid garlic/onion and roots, you can read more here