Curry Leaves

Why it earns its place

Curry leaves are one of those ingredients that quietly define a whole cuisine. Tossed fresh into hot oil, they crackle and release a warm, citrus-nutty aroma that is the signature of South Indian home cooking. Traditionally they’re valued for supporting digestion, and even for hair and skin.

Also known as: Kadi Patta or Meetha Neem (Hindi), Kariveppilai (Tamil), Karivepaku (Telugu), Surabhinimba (Sanskrit).

Fresh is everything

• Use them fresh. Fresh curry leaves are fragrant and glossy; dried ones lose most of their magic.
• Keep them well. Store fresh sprigs wrapped in the fridge, or freeze them, and they will keep for weeks.
• A note on the name. Curry leaves have nothing to do with “curry powder”, they are the leaf of a specific tree (Murraya koenigii).

Cooking with them

Their home is the tadka, or tempering: a spoon of hot oil or ghee, a scatter of mustard seeds, and a handful of curry leaves thrown in to sizzle for a few seconds before the lot is stirred through a dish. That single step carries dals, sambar, rasam, chutneys and stir-fried vegetables. Unlike bay leaves, curry leaves are soft enough to eat and are usually left in.

Traditional dishes to try

• Sambar and rasam, the comforting soups of a South Indian meal.
• Coconut chutney and lemon rice, both lifted by a curry-leaf tempering.
• Poriyal, simple stir-fried vegetables finished with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Good to know

Curry leaves are gentle, edible and enjoyed daily across South India. Fresh is far better than dried, so if you spot a sprig, grab it, they freeze beautifully.