Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

Sabzi of the Day - Curry Leaves: Simple Ways to Boost Health and Flavour in Cooking

While curry leaves are mostly used in South Indian cooking, it is possible to add the leaves to a variety of cuisines cooked in other parts of India

Who doesn’t love the fresh aroma of curry leaves?! Used mainly in South Indian cooking, curry leaves are added to a wide range of dishes, from simple idli to complex biryanis. However, that does not mean curry leaves cannot be used in cuisines cooked in other parts of India. Given that curry leaves have nutritional value and are packed with health benefits, curry leaves must find a way into your dishes no matter which part of the world you live in.

What’s in 100 Grams?

If one can consume only 100 grams of curry leaves, be it raw or through dishes, the person will receive:

Calories: 66 kcal

Carbohydrates: 14.1 grams

Protein: 6.1 grams

Fat: 1.0 grams

Dietary Fiber: 6.4 grams

Calcium: 830 milligrams

Phosphorus: 57 milligrams

Iron: 15 milligrams

Magnesium: 105 milligrams

Vitamin C: 240 milligrams

Vitamin A: 6186 IU

Vitamin B6: 0.1 milligrams

Vitamin E: 0.8 milligrams

Vitamin K: 300 µg

Exploring the Many Health Benefits

Curry leaves in South Indian food are used because of their flavour and have been a part of their traditional cuisine for ages. However, they are also added because of how beneficial they are for human health.

Radical free body: Curry leaves contain many substances, such as linalool, alpha-terpinene, myrcene, mahanimbine, caryophyllene, murrayanol, and alpha-pinene. Many of these are antioxidants and help in keeping the body radical-free.

May keep the heart healthy: While there have been no studies on how curry leaves could benefit the human heart, studies on different animals show that consumption of curry leaves reduced heart diseases.

(Credit- Happy Tummy)

Probably has neuroprotective properties: Some research has shown that curry leaves contain some properties that protect the nervous system and even protect humans from Alzheimer-like neurodegenerative conditions.

Anticancer effects: A test-tube study proved that curry leaves grown in certain parts of Malaysia exhibited anticancer properties.

There are some benefits of curry leaves as well, such as controlling blood sugar, relieving pain, and having anti-inflammatory effects.

Recipes Worth a Try

While it is extremely hard to find recipes made of curry leaves, given they are only used to enhance the flavour of a dish, we have compiled recipes based around curry leaves that are worth a try.

(Credit- X/ @Sangamhotelsha)

Curry Leaf Chutney: Blend curry leaves with tamarind, roasted lentils, chillies, and grated coconut. Hot some mustard oil and temper mustard seeds with a pinch of asafoetida. Pour the tempered oil into the chutney.

Curry Leaf Rice: Saute urad dal, red chillies, mustard leaves, and some turmeric and salt are added. Once sautéed, add overnight cooked rice and sauté another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with roasted cashews, and enjoy a simple bowl of curry leaf rice.

(Credit- Instragram/@ homecookingshow)

Curry Leaf Pakodas: Prepare a batter of gram flour with curry leaves, red chilli powder, and water. Put dollops of the batter into hot, boiling mustard oil and let them take the shape of pakodas. Once done, serve them with a chutney or sauce of your liking.

Curry leaves may not be a very mainstream ingredient for every cuisine, but if one knows how to tweak the taste, adding curry leaves to meals often becomes easy and also beneficial for the body.