Curry Tree Murraya Koenigii
This attractive shrub has a strong spicy scent and is prized for it's culinary and medicinal qualities. In spring it produce delightful, white flowers. Suitable for container growing.
Have you ever dug into a bowlful of yellow dal from your favorite restaurant and marveled at that subtle, citrusy flavor that maybe you couldn’t quite place?
Want to make that herbaceous deliciousness a part of your personal culinary repertoire? Then you should consider growing your own curry leaf tree at home.
You can use the leaves in your cooking, and as an added bonus, this plant is also stunning as an ornamental.
It has an elegant bush-like growth pattern that stands out in the garden, and when you brush the leaves, they release their pungent, spicy aroma. Harvesting actually boosts health. When the tree has grown larger at the peak season, pluck off the fresh aromatic leaves to flavor stews and soups. Regular harvesting improves the present and future growth of the plant.
The curry leaf tree is a tropical plant that’s native to India and Sri Lanka. It has pointed, oblong leaves that grow in pairs.
And during the summer, it features tubular white flowers that are incredibly fragrant, with a sweet, citrus-like scent. It then forms small, black fruits similar to berries. This fruit is edible, but should only be consumed carefully by removing the poisonous seed first.
For those gardeners who don’t live in tropical areas (ie Wellington), this is one plant that is happy to grow in a container indoors – and outdoors at certain times of the year.
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The curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii) can be confused with the plant called "curry" (Helichrysum italicum, sometimes listed as H. angustifolium), which is popular in many nurseries and garden centers. While it does have a warm fragrance akin to curry, it tastes bitter. Be sure to ask sellers if the plant is edible. Helichrysum italicum is actually best served in potpourris and wreaths, but not for food.
On the other hand, the curry leaf tree described in this guide can be used in many ways. Limbolee oil, which can be used in scenting soap, comes from the fresh leaves. Wood from the tree is used for fuel in Southeast Asia. Leaves are roasted and added to the Cambodian soup called maju krueng and also used in Java in gulai or lamb stew.
Curry leaves have the most flavor when fresh, so continuously growing more leaves on a tree indoors or outdoors allows for a constant supply. They actually offer a citrus-like flavor. Welcome the fresh leaves into soups, sauces and stews. Add to vegetables, seafood and chutneys. Similar to how you would use a bay leaf, steep the leaves in the food as its cooking and then fish it out. Another option is to dry the leaves and crush them. Store in a jar in the dark and take them back out in a couple of months.
Because leaves are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, Ayurvedic medicine recommends curry leaves to control heart disease and treat infections and inflammation. Leaves have antimicrobial properties too. They have been proven to lower cholesterol levels in animals and can even prevent Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Due to their iron and folic acid content, curry leaves may also be used to treat anemia. As folic acid helps the body absorb iron, this process protects against the liver damage that may occur from drinking a lot of alcohol or eating the fish that can then be flavored with the same curry leaves.