I have a couple of recipes calling for fresh curry leaves, one for dal, the other for meat curry. They say to fry the leaves in ghee and stir in at the end. I managed to find dry curry leaves at a local South Asian market. Wondering if I should use the dry as suggested with the fresh, or just grind them up in the garam/curry powder and add at the beginning. Thanks in advance.
Curry Leaves in Indian Food
- Thread starter RRH
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scott123
Senior Cook
As far as I can recall, I don't think you want to grind curry leaves up. I believe they are ment to be used whole and then removed.
hello RRH
Dried curry leaves are no good. It is the fresh ones which give the flavour to south indian and other asian cookin. They are put in hot oil and then added to the dal. It is called as follows in different languages.
Curry Leaves - English
Feuilles de Cari - French
Kare-rihu - Japanese
Kari patta - Hindi
If you do not get fresh curry leaves you can use fresh chopped cilantro / coriander . that also gives good flavour with dals and meat dishes. No need to add to the oil. ook it well and before serving sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
ND
Dried curry leaves are no good. It is the fresh ones which give the flavour to south indian and other asian cookin. They are put in hot oil and then added to the dal. It is called as follows in different languages.
Curry Leaves - English
Feuilles de Cari - French
Kare-rihu - Japanese
Kari patta - Hindi
If you do not get fresh curry leaves you can use fresh chopped cilantro / coriander . that also gives good flavour with dals and meat dishes. No need to add to the oil. ook it well and before serving sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
ND
quidscribis
Assistant Cook
People here use both the fresh leaves and the dried leaves, but admittedly, fresh are more common. Most people have a curry bush in their yard, as do we!
However, if you don't want to use the dried leaves - they don't have as good flavor as fresh - you can simply omit them.
However, if you don't want to use the dried leaves - they don't have as good flavor as fresh - you can simply omit them.
Claire
Master Chef
My curry plant did not survive very long, and I will try again. My leaves were much to fragile to use as you do bay leaves (put in and take out), they were much like a tarragon leaf (but obviously a huge difference in flavor). I'd chop them like I would any other herb and put in. The only similar flavor is, I have to say it, only available in curry powders, so that's where those of us who don't live in the tropics (and many who do -- I could grow it in Hawaii, but not in Florida, and only seasonally here, it didn't like being brought inside) have to go for that distinctive flavor. My plants never got large enough for the leaves to be that tough. I will continue to try! When it comes to food, I'm a die-hard. I love Indian food, and cannot get it here in restaurants, so I keep on working at it!!
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