Fresh curry leaves grown chemical-free by Peta at Pigface Farm in Mororo, using regenerative practices.
If you've only ever cooked with dried curry leaves, fresh ones will change everything. The smell when they hit hot oil is nutty, floral and deeply savoury, and it's the backbone of South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking.
In the kitchen
Dropped into hot oil or ghee at the start of a dal or curry
Stirred through a coconut fish curry
Added to a potato and mustard seed side dish
Used generously, as they're more subtle than you'd think
How to prepare
Pull the leaves from the stems just before cooking. Pat them dry so they don't spit in hot oil.
Spring recipe: Curry leaf and coconut prawns
Fry curry leaves and mustard seeds in coconut oil until crackling, add garlic, ginger and chilli, then stir in prawns and a splash of coconut milk. Simmer for a few minutes and finish with lime.
How to store
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze them for up to three months and use straight from frozen.
