Selection
Fresh curry leaves are easily available in the farmer markets in South-Indian States, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Since curry leaves lose their delicate fragrance soon after drying, you should try to obtain them fresh.
Choose fresh, bright green, and crisp leaves tied in loose bundles. Avoid dry, wilted, and discolored leaves.
Storage
Curry leaves do not store well and are always used fresh for flavor. Sometimes, fresh leaves are deep-fried in oil and stored in an air-sealed glass jar for extended use.
Curry leaf may be kept in the refrigerator for some time in the bunch. Do not tear leaflets from their stems before usage (keep the whole sprig).
Culinary uses
In Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines, curry leaves are used fresh. They develop unique flavor best after a short tempering under low heat or frying in oil, which, when added, gives a unique flavor to the food.
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| Curry leaves tempered kadi-pakoda. |
Here are some serving tips:
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In Indian cuisine, curry leaf commonly features in “tempering” or tadka, in which several spices are fried in oil or ghee and the mixture is added to flavor the dish.
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They chiefly added in lentils or vegetable curries (sambaar) in South India.
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Naro-singho masor jhol recipe (fish In curry leaves gravy) is a recipe from Assam in North East India, which consists of small freshwater or sardines/carps, cooked in curry leaves gravy.
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Curry leaves give a special flavor to a favorite dish in Kerala-kariveppila chicken (chicken with curry leaves).
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In Tamil Nadu, curry leaves feature dominantly in almost all recipes like curry (karuveppilai kuzhambu-கருவேப்பிலை குழம்பு), rasam, sabzi (stew) and chutney.
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Curry leaves are employed liberally in chicken, shrimp and vegetable dishes in Malaysia and Indonesia.
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Deep-fried curry leaves can also be ground to a fragrant powder and may be added in spice blends.
Safety profile
Allergy to curry leaves is rare although some people do not prefer to eat them. The leaves are healthy and do not cause any side effects in pregnant and nursing mothers when consumed in small quantities.
(Medical disclaimer: The information and reference guides on this website are intended
solely for the general information for the reader. It is not to be used to diagnose health problems or for treatment purposes. It is not a
substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. Please consult your health care provider for any advice
on medications.)
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Further reading:
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McCance and Widdowson’s composition of foods integrated dataset. (opens in excel).
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Gernot-Katzer’s spice pages. (Opens in new window).
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Curry leaves- Specialty produce. (opens in excel).