You often see curry leaves at an Indian restaurant, but they're used in so many other cuisines too! Here's a collection of international curry leaf recipes, as well as an introduction to the herb with tips on how to grow and preserve it.
Jump to:
- 🌿What are Curry Leaves?
- 💭 Where to Buy
- 🍳 How to Cook
- 🥡 How to Store
- 📋 Substitutes
- 👩 Expert Tips
- 📖FAQs
- International Recipes
- 🥟 Snacks
- 🧈 Tofu
- 🍤 Seafood
- 🐓 Chicken
- 🥚 Eggs
- 🐑 Lamb
- 🍚 Rice Dishes
- 🥬 Vegetarian
- Vegan
- 💬 Comments
I've always been interested in growing my own food. However, ever since we moved from a compound with over 20,000 sf of land to an apartment with a tiny balcony and little sunlight, urban gardening has been challenging.
Thankfully, there are 3 "bomb proof" plants which have survived: aloe vera, chilli and curry leaf. Moreover, chilies and curry leaves go well together and I love both! Scroll down for some of my favorite uses of curry leaves.
Note: aloe vera is delicious in yuzu marmalade konnyaku jelly or chilled Asian drinks!
🌿What are Curry Leaves?
Also known as Murraya koenigii (scientific name), sweet neem leaves, Daun Kari (Malay), Curry Bush, Karapincha, Karwa Pale, Garupillai, Kerupulai, 咖哩叶, 调料九里香, 麻绞叶 or kariveppilai (Tamil), fresh curry leaves are a very fragrant herb.
These pinnate leaves are a key ingredient in Indian dishes, Sri Lankan cooking and many South East Asian recipes, used to add a depth of flavour to food!
Native to India, Sri Lanka and other parts of South Asia, they are pointy, dark green leaves with a fragrance that is delicious but hard to describe. They look something like this, but darker: 🌿!
It's not the strongest flavour around, but it has an almost nutty aroma definitely adds something indescribable to food.
As the curry tree is from the citrus family, some people say this herb is citrusy. However, I find the flavour much more earthy, almost bitter. I often crush a few leaves in between my fingers for a pick-me-up whenever I visit my herb balcony garden!
Note: Click here for more recipes that use herbs and vegetables one can easily grow at home.
VS Curry Powder
Curry leaves shouldn't be confused with curry powder, as they are 2 different things.
In other words, curry powder is NOT a powder made of curry leaves.
Note that curries, however, may contain curry leaves, especially in South Indian cooking. For example, the leaves can be sauteed in ghee or hot oil with other Indian spices (e.g. cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, black pepper etc) to form a tadka which is then poured over the curry.
I use curry leaves myself when cooking potato curry for my Singapore Curry Puffs!
The tadka can also be used at the beginning of cooking a curry. For more information on tadkas, check out this link. If you're already confused, note there are curry leaf plants (which is the focus of this post) as well as curry plants- the 2 are NOT the same thing!
Fun fact: curry powder was invented by the British!
💭 Where to Buy
In Asia, these dark green leaves are commonly found in wet markets and even grocery stores.
In Western countries, this aromatic herb is unfortunately not the most mainstream ingredient. Thankfully, more supermarkets are starting to stock the dried version.
Your best bet for fresh leaves would be Indian grocery stores or online.
🍳 How to Cook
Ubiquitous in South Indian cooking, these leaves are often tempered with mustard seeds, and maybe some chillies, in ghee or coconut oil. Frying the leaves in oil helps to develop the rich depth of flavor.
In South East Asian Chinese cooking, on the other hand, curry leaves are seen as the perfect partner for the rich and savoury flavour of salted eggs, such as in this salted egg popcorn recipe. It helps to ground the umami-ness of the salted eggs.
(Salted eggs, on their own, are great but can be a bit overpowering- add in some of these green leaves and chillies, and the fragrance helps to "cut" the richness of the salted egg.)
Curry leaves are edible. However some recipes suggest that they be removed after cooking, as the old leaves can be quite tough to chew.
They are also used in chutneys, relishes and salads. Just pick the younger, more tender leaves and slice them as finely as you can (or process them to make a relish). Make sure the tough sprig stem is removed!
Note: in India, this fresh herb is used for cooking and health purposes, but in South East Asia, they are predominantly used in culinary applications.
🥡 How to Store
If you're not lucky enough to have your own curry leaf plant, the leaves can be purchased in either fresh or dried form.
For fresh leaves, wash and pat them dry before storing in the:
- fridge
- freezer
- drying them
In the Fridge
Make sure the leaves are dried, wrapped in a paper tower and put in an airtight container.
If moisture forms, wipe it off, to ensure the leaves last for as long as possible (up to about 2 weeks). The leaves will curl a bit as they age in the fridge.
Note: Toss any leaves that develop black spots!
In the Freezer
Placed in a ziplock bag, the colour of the leaves may change with time, but they're still good for cooking. There's no need to defrost before using and this is the easiest way to keep curry leaves for a long time.
In the Pantry (Dried)
Tropical climates have the tradition of air drying food under the sun. (Just pat the leaves dry, spread and leave under direct sunlight till nice and sort of crisp.)
This can be a challenge if you live in a colder climate or if your house doesn't get enough light/ is too humid, even if you live in the tropics, as I do. (If so, you will need to dry the leaves in the oven or in a dehydrator.)
Once dried, keep in an airtight container in a dark place.
Tip: You can even process the dried curry leaves into a fine powder and add the DIY spice blend to your spice rack! (The herb can also be ground with other aromatic herbs and spices to make an Indian spice mix with a unique flavor.)
📋 Substitutes
The Internet offers all sorts of suggestions- such as lemongrass, asafoetida, basil, lemon balm and anise.
Personally, I've never found a goodsubstitute for that I'm satisfied with. I think the closest I've found is bay leaves (which, unlike curry leaves, is not edible) or to mix the various substitutes together.
👩 Expert Tips
- Crush the leaves to bruise them before cooking, to help them release their flavour.
- Choose bright, glossy green leaves that have no brown spots and are not bruised
- If you've exhausted all the curry leaf recipes on this list, try using them in your co*cktails!
How to Grow
I find curry leaves to be 1 of the easiest herbs to grow, if you live in a warm climate!
(If you live in a colder place, make sure the plant potted so that it can winter indoors- I have successfully grown it even in rainy London! For more tips on how to grow curry leaves in a cold country like the UK, click here.)
It is pretty much the oldest plant on my balcony and is currently in the form of a small tree (despite being grown in a small pot, too!) It can even grow into a towering curry leaf tree if planted in the ground!
Other than requiring a well-draining soil, this plant isn't delicate. It is semi-drought tolerant and doesn't need very good soil. In fact, I can't remember the last time I fertilised mine and it's still growing well.
Note that pruning is essential to encourage more growth. They can be grown from seed (difficult) or cuttings (easy.) If your friend has a plant, just get a cutting off them and pop it into a rooting mix.
📖FAQs
What are the benefits of curry leaves?
Curry leaves are part of Ayurvedic medicine. Nutritionally, they are rich in iron, carotenoids, beta-carotene and calcium. Some people think they help with hair loss, but no conclusive research has been done so far. One interesting development is that studies have found them useful in managing Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The effect of curry leaves on treating breast cancer is also being researched. Please consult a qualified medical professional for more information on the medicinal properties of curry leaves!
What's the difference between curry leaves and curry powder?
Curry powder is a British invention that is a mix of spices such as coriander seeds, cumin and turmeric. Curry leaves, on the other hand, are a herb whose leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive fragrance. They are not the same thing!
International Recipes
There are a gazillion South Asian curry leaves recipes- dals, curries, soups...
I enjoy South Asian food but I wanted to feature a more diverse collection that goes beyond Indian cuisine. So, here is a collection of international curry leaf recipes spanning from South Asia to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, which are easy enough for the average home cook!
🥟 Snacks
Curry Puff
The first is this karipap (curry puff), a South East Asian "empanada" which is ubiquitous in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
I like how the dough is not sticky and doesn't require much kneading. Moreover, it's the perfect Asian snack to batch make and store in the freezer, ready for any unexpected guests, as it can be fried from frozen!
Vegetarian curry puff with potatoes
Also known as karipap, this is an easy Asian snack that can be batch made and tastes just as good hot as it does as room temperature.
Click here for karipap
Note: For recipes of other Asian snack foods and other Singaporean dishes, click here.
🧈 Tofu
Salted Egg Tofu
Actually, once you have the recipe for salted egg sauce, you can use it for anything from fried rice to chicken wings!
Salted Egg Tofu (Fried tofu & salted egg yolk sauce)
This salted egg tofu is an easy but delicious recipe- the fried tofu is crispy and smothered with a creamy and buttery salted egg yolk sauce that has hints of the citrusy curry leaf and the spice of the chilli. Yum!
Click here for the Singaporean tofu recipe.
🍤 Seafood
Masala Prawns
Shrimp masala
A delicious home-style Indian shrimp recipe with tomatoes, onions, curry leaves and mustard seeds. It does involve quite a few other ingredients as well though so if you don't have them, maybe try the Durban shrimp curry below instead.
Prawn 65
Fried prawn 65 starter
Another 5-star recipe, these marinated and fried prawns are a delicious South Indian starter.
Durban Shrimp
Durban curry shrimp with curry leaves
When I travelled to South Africa, I was surprised by how similar some of their dishes were to Singaporean food (we have a lot of Malay and Indian food in Singapore). This Durban curry shrimp is delicious, as attested to by the fact that it has only 5 star ratings!
Malaysian Fish Curry
Malaysian Curry
Singapore and Malaysia have many similar dishes but the version of Singapore assam fish curry I'm familiar with don't use curry leaves, so how could I not feature this recipe? Doesn't hurt that it's only received 5 star reviews! 🙂
Smoked Salmon Curry
Smoked salmon with curry leaves fish curry
A recipe from a former chef and culinary instructor, who's also a fellow Singaporean (but now resides in the UK)- i like finding non-traditional ways to use smoked salmon so this recipe spoke to me! 🙂
Anchovy Curry
Note: in a pinch, anchovies can be used as a substitute for dried shrimp, a typical Cantonese condiment.
Anchovies fried with curry leaves
A popular South Asian dish in which marinated anchovies are fried in coconut oil, sliced onions, garlic, and curry leaves.
Basa Curry
Basa fish curry
Better than Indian takeout, this curry isn't very spicy but is full of flavour. Low in calories and fat, you can use any white fish such as tilapia, haddok or cod. With nearly 40 5-star reviews, it is a must-try!
Note: For more flavourful Asian seafood recipes, such as this coconut fish curry, click here.
🐓 Chicken
Vietnamese Curry
Vietnamese Chicken Curry with Curry leaves
When I lived in East London, there was a Vietnamese takeaway opposite my flat and I would often buy the chicken curry. It reminded me a lot of the curry I had growing up in Singapore (my family loves chicken curry so much that my Grandmother used to can her homemade curry to send it to my Dad when he was in boarding school in the UK!) and I wondered how they made it. Now I know! It's different from Singaporean chicken curry in that we only use coconut milk and cream- no condensed milk- but I must say, the addition of condensed milk makes it feel like it would be even tastier!!
Chicken 65
P.S. It may seem like there are a lot of Indian chicken curry leaves recipes here but I've checked each one to make sure they all bring something different to this round-up.
Baked Indian Chicken 65
I like how this 5-star chicken starter recipe is baked rather than fried. We've had prawn 65 and now chicken 65 so it seems these "65" dishes are quite well-known in India!
Mango Curry
Mango chicken curry
If you've never tried mango and chicken, you'll be surprised how well they go together! This mango chicken curry is gluten-free, dairy-free, low-calorie and delicious! (Another mango chicken idea is to marinade chicken with mango chutney and some fish sauce- in fact, that's what we're having for dinner tonight!)
Pickled Curry
Achari Chicken in Pickling Spices
This Northern Indian dish is sweet, sour and a little bit spicy, full of flavour and texture.
Chicken Chukka
Chicken Chukka (Dairy-free) (Coconut-free)
If you think Indian curries are all about coconut or yoghurt, think again. This is a delicious dry South Indian curry that does not use dairy or coconut!
Chettinad Curry
Chettinad Chicken Curry
A South Indian curry which involves marinating juicy chicken with fresh spices, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and yoghurt., then cooked with tomatoes. Indian food is delicious but it takes time to cook and this is 1 of the more involved recipes.
Note: For more Asian recipes with chicken, click here.
🥚 Eggs
Salted Egg Popcorn
Salted egg and curry leaves are another match made in heaven.
The herb adds a depth to the umami-ness of the salted egg! Once you try it, you'll love it so here are more salted egg recipes for you.
If you can't get these eggs at your grocery, you can make your own salted eggs at home- it's super easy! (In fact, salted eggs are readily available living in Singapore, but I still make my own nonetheless!)
Salted egg yolk popcorn
Popcorn is the ultimate quick and easy snack recipe- the salted egg gives it an umami boost so you won't be able to stop till you've eaten everything!
Click here for salted egg popcorn
Chinese New Year Cornflake Crunch
Golden Salted Egg Yolk Cornflakes Crunch Snack
This is an easy yet addictive Asian snack recipe. You can even add a bit of honey and make it into cornflake crunch cups!
Click here for salted egg cornflakes
Salted Egg Chips
Salted Egg & curry leaf potato chips
To be honest, salted eggs make anything taste good, but with chips, they're even more moreish!
Egg Curry
Egg curry with curry leaves
In Singapore, our egg sambal curry tends to be redder thanks to its liberal use of fresh and dried chillies (one for colour and the other for spice) so I was intrigued by this egg curry which uses a different blend of spices. Moreover, it has all 5-star reviews so how could I leave it out?
🐑 Lamb
Lamb Curry
Achar gosht curry recipe
Slow cooked in pickling spices to emulate a traditional Indian Kahari, this is a spicy and complex curry in which the lamb can be substituted with mutton. (For more curry leaf recipes with pickling spices, check out the "Chicken" section in this list.
🍚 Rice Dishes
If you cook too much rice, here are some ways to use it up!
Lentil Rice
Ven Pongal (Instant Pot)
This rice and lentil Indian curry leaf recipe is easy enough that even beginner cooks can make it without problem. (You will need a number of Indian condiments though.)
Curry Leaves Rice
Indian curry leaves rice
Curry leaves are the key ingredients in this rice dish- both fresh or leftover rice ccan be used. For more ideas to use up extra rice, click here.
Poha
Poha Chivda
If you like rice and have not had poha before, you're missing out. Poha is a flattened rice that has been parboiled previously so it cooks in next to no time! Perfect for when you're starving- like most rice forms, it absorbs flavours very well- this is the very 1st Indian dish I learnt to make actually!
🥬 Vegetarian
Bean Curry
Baked beans curry
Growing up in Singapore, I've eaten my fair share of curries- there was once when my Grandma insisted on chicken curry every day because her friend who was a nurse told her turmeric was good for the health (!!)- but I've never had a baked bean curry! Beans are filling and nutritious so I can see myself making this often- making it this weekend actually!
Chutneys
3 Types of Indian Coconut Chutneys
Gluten-free, dairy-free and lasting for up to 10 days in the fridge, what's not to love about these chutneys?
Dried Coconut Chutney
Curry leaf chutney with desiccated coconut
If you wanted to make the traditional coconut chutney in the recipe above, but can't get fresh grated coconut- desiccated is a great choice too. Even better, this chutney stays fresh for longer (fresh coconut goes bad really quickly.)
Green Tomato Relish
Tomato pachadi (South Indian Green Tomato Chutney)
Spicy and tangy, this tomato pachadi is delicious so don't be put off by the exotic ingredients such as hing (asafoetida)- I grew up in a country where Indian food is everywhere and I'd never heard of asafoetida till I was in my 30s! (I did, however, only start cooking when I was 30 so perhaps that's why!)
Red Tomato Chutney
Red tomato chutney
Green tomatoes aren't the easiest to find- I've never seen them in London or Singapore in a "Regular" supermarket- so here's a South Indian red tomato chutney to make your life easier!
P.S. If you're wondering what a Pachadi is, it's a South Indian fresh pickle side dish, usually made from seasonal vegetables.
Okra Side Dish
Vendakka Pachadi with okra
This South Indian yoghurt side dish uses okra and is 1 of the Indian curry leaf recipes on this list which doesn't require a ton of ingredients. Still delicious though!
Fried Fritters
As for kadhis, they're common to India and Pakistan, and consist of veggie fritters in thick gravy of gram flour and curd.
Punjabi Kadhi
This popular dish is creamy and a little sour, with some crunch from the vegetable fritters. For a vegan Pakistani version of this recipe, scroll down.
Pakora
Pakora Kadhi
This Pakistani dumpling dish has a spicy and creamy sauce, making it great comfort food.
Dal
Given how common the herb is in Indian food, how can any list of curry leaf recipes miss out on dal/ Dahl?
Gujarati dal
Dal is a lentil stew that is the protein of choice for most Indian vegetarians. This 4. star version can be made in an instant pot!
Vegan
If you're vegan or looking to increase your intake of plant-based foods, you may also enjoy these vegan Asian recipes.
Sri Lankan Curry
Vegan Sri Lankan curry
Delicious and healthy, this vegan sri lankan curry is a must add to your weekly menu!
Indian-inspired Curry
Vegan curry
A 5-star, Indian-inspired curry that uses curry leaves and other spices, perfect with naan or basmati rice
Aloo Gobi
Aloo Gobi Potato & Cauliflower Curry
1 of the most famous Indian potato dishes, this is a heavily spiced potato, pea and cauliflower curry. Naturally vegan too!
Pumpkin Curry
If you prefer chicken curry, I have a chicken pumpkin curry here and more Asian-inspired pumpkin recipes here.
Authentic Sri Lankan curry with pumpkin
This vegan, gluten-free curry is easy to make and freezes well. I love how the blogger has thoughtfully provided a list of ingredients to look out for in shop-bought curry powders that are not found in authentic Sri Lankan curry powder!
Cucumber Salad
For a Chinese-style cucumber salad, click here! (3-ingredients only and super refreshing!)
Kachumber salad
This Indian cucumber salad is super welcome on a hot summer's day and is also vegan, vegetarian, low carb, keto , paleo and Whole30.
Which of these curry leaf recipes was your favourite? Tag me on social media @greedygirlgourmet if you make any of them! If you've found something you like, maybe you'd like to subscribe to my Asian recipes neweletter here?
