Murraya koenigii

Curry leaves come from a small deciduous tree that grows in the wild foothills of the Himalayas, in many parts of India, Northern Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

The trees have been cultivated for centuries in South India, mainly in small quantities in private gardens for use in the kitchen, but recently also on a commercial scale. Plantations have been established recently in North Australia.

FLAVOR

When crushed, fresh leaves are extremely aromatic, giving off a musky, spicy scent with citrus notes. The taste is warm and pleasant, lemony, and mildly bitter.

Dried leaves are effective if used in double the quantity of fresh leaves in dishes.

USED PARTS: Leaves

BUYING AND STORAGE

Fresh curry leaves can be purchased at Asian markets, where they may be labeled as "meetha neem" or "kari (kadhi) patta." It is best to store them in a vacuum-sealed bag in the freezer, but they can also be kept in the refrigerator for more than a week. Dried leaves can also be found at Asian markets, but it's preferable to use fresh if available.

CULINARY USE

Curry leaves are plucked from the stem just before adding them to the dish. They are used in large quantities in South Indian cuisine, much like coriander is used in the north. They go directly from many home gardens into vegetarian Gujarati dishes.

They are also used in long-cooked meat stews and Kerala fish curries, as well as in Chennai (Madras), the only region where curry leaves are a standard ingredient in spice blends. Sri Lankan curry blends almost routinely include curry leaves. These blends are darker in appearance and taste than Indian ones; the ingredients are more intensely roasted and include spices native to the island, such as cinnamon and cardamom. Indian immigrants brought curry leaves to Fiji, while others made them an important ingredient in South African Tamil cooking.

If quickly fried in melted butter or oil with mustard seeds, asafoetida, or onions, curry leaves can be used at the beginning of cooking to spice up the dish before adding other ingredients. The same combination is more commonly used as a blend, added at the end, for example, as a base for "bagaar" or "tadka," which can go with most lentil dishes.

Chopped or crushed leaves are used in chutneys (more prominently in coconut chutney), sweets, and marinades for seafood.

In the West, the delicate, spicy flavor that leaves release in curry is just beginning to be appreciated without associating it with the heat in these dishes.

Beginners could use whole branches and remove them before serving, although the cooked leaves are quite tender, and the taste soon becomes pleasantly devoted.

GOOD WITH: Fish, lamb, lentils, rice, seafood, most vegetables.

PAIRS WELL WITH: Cardamom, chili, coriander, coconut, cumin, fenugreek seed, garlic, mustard, pepper, turmeric.