Turmeric leaf ✦

Feuille de curcuma

What it is

The leaf smells of green mango and cut grass and carries none of the rhizome’s earthy bitterness — aromatically the two parts of the plant share almost nothing. Minangkabau cooks shred it into rendang and wrap fish in it for pais, while in Kerala the whole leaf steams the ada parcels made for Onam.

In the kitchen

Shred it into ribbons a millimetre wide and add it for the last hour of a rendang — chopped coarse it stays stringy and never releases. Used whole as a wrapper it wants a light oiling first, or it welds itself to the fish skin.

Goes with

Coconut milk Lemongrass Galangal Chili pepper Beef Makrut lime leaf Candlenut

Same species

Turmeric Zedoary

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