Topic: What are Curry Leaves and Where are they Used?

[davidr]

Hi everyone I just joined and I'm finding the forum really useful, my thanks to you all.

I've seen recipes outside of this forum that use curry leaves and I'm wondering what they are and why none of the recipes on this site seem to use them?

Thanks everyone!

[Cory Ander]

Hi davidr and welcome to cr0! 

Check out the "Curry Leaves" link in our "Glossary of Spices" section here:   http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/board,46.0.html

[adriandavidb]

I'm aware that curry leaves are used extensively in traditional indian cooking, but I'd be interested to know if they're used much in BIR cooking, I suspect not, but maybe some of you know differently?

[Secret Santa]

They're a component of almost all curry powders but apart from that I doubt they are used in many (if any) dishes. I fried some fresh curry leaves, as you would in traditional curry making, in a recent madras that I made. They didn't have any effect on the final taste and even when I chewed directly on one I didn't think it added much. Certainly not the "secret" ingredient anyway, which was sort of what I was hoping for.

[SnS]

Curry leaves (Kari plant) is native to South India and Sri Lanka and is essential to cooking styles in the South and South West of India.

As most BIR cooking styles originated from Bangladesh (1000 miles North of Sri Lanka), my guess is that curry leaf was/is not an essential ingredient.

As SS pointed out, most curry powders already include some curry leaf powder.

I also read somewhere that in Indian cooking, 1 fresh curry leaf = 6 dried curry leaves.

As fresh curry leaves are quite difficult to obtain here in UK, I guess not many BIR's would use them anyway.

SnS  ;D

[Assam_ti]

Curry leaves are very popular in Fiji and Mauritius cooking as well. In one of
the Fiji curries I make I grind the leaves and add to the masala and in another
dish I add fresh curry leaves just to add a bit of pizazz.