Curry leaf

Feuille de curry

What it is

Nothing to do with curry powder, which contains none of it. The leaf is thrown into hot oil at the very start of a South Indian dish, where it crackles and perfumes the fat — a step called tempering, and the dish is unrecognisable without it.

In the kitchen

Dried curry leaves are close to worthless. Buy them fresh and freeze what you do not use — they freeze perfectly.

Goes with

Mustard seed Coconut milk Turmeric Ghee Chili pepper Red lentil Ginger Lime

Also used with

Byadgi chilli Chana dal Jackfruit Kokum Pigeon pea (toor dal) Coconut oil

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