Curry leaves are perhaps one of the highly popular herbs used in India since times immemorial. As the name suggests curry leaves are herbs which are added to curries, stews, soups, legumes, and many such preparations. Curry leaves are an integral part of Indian cooking style where many of the traditional and contemporary recipes are incomplete without curry leaves. Curry leaves are added not just for the flavour that they add, but they also stand to provide many benefits from health point of view.Curry plant is a native of India and Sri Lanka. It is cultivated in almost all regions in India, as most households use curry leaves on a regular basis. It is a medium sized plant which grows up to a height of about 3 m. The leaves are distributed in 20-30 leaflets. The leaves are slightly bitter and very aromatic.
SEASON
Available Year around
UNAVAILABLE
Generally available
PREPARATION TIPS AND USAGE
The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking, especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life & do not keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior.
The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine. They are believed to possess anti-diabetic properties.
Although most commonly used in curries, leaves from the curry tree can be used in many other dishes to add flavor. In Cambodia, Khmer toast the leaves in open flame or roasted it to a crunch and crushed it into a soured soup dish called Maju Krueng.
In the absence of tulsi leaves, curry leaves are used for rituals and pujas.
STORAGE
They don’t have a long shelf life and thus should be wrapped in a moist kitchen towel or newspaper and then stored in the refrigerator. Detach the leaves from the stem only before cooking.
