Scroll to Recipes with Curry leaves / करी पत्ते as ingredient

The curry leaves tree belongs to Rutaceae’s family that includes rue, citrus, and satinwood and is native to India.


The tree is also found growing vastly in Sri Lanka, east of Thailand, and recently grown commercially in Australia.

The leaves are used in culinary in the Indian subcontinent. They are roasted and used in a soup called Maju kreung in Cambodia. Whereas, in Java-a small island in Indonesia, the leaves are often stewed to flavor gulai- a spicy curry food.

Oil is sometimes extracted and used to make scented soaps from it.

Commonly known as

In India, it is commonly called Karee Patte. However, its name in many languages translates to sweet neem.

Language Name Written as
Arabic awraq alkari أوراق الكاري
Bengali Kāri pātā কারি পাতা
Gujarati Mīṭhō līmbaḍō મીઠો લીંબડો
Hindi karee patte करी पत्ते
Kannada Karibēvu ಕರಿಬೇವು
Malayalam kaṟivēppila കറിവേപ്പില
Marathi Kaḍhīpattā कढीपत्ता
Punjabi Karī patē ਕਰੀ ਪੱਤੇ
Tamil Kaṟivēppilai கறிவேப்பிலை
Telugu Karivēpāku కరివేపాకు
Urdu Saalan ke patte سالن کے پتے

Nutritional Profile of Curry Leaves

Nutritional profile per 100 gms

  • Calories: 24
  • Protein: 4g
  • Carbohydrate: 2g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sodium: 4mg
  • Potassium: 300mg

Source: USDA & Google

Benefits of Curry leaves

People are quick to throw them away from the dish. However, they do not realize the importance it holds regarding health benefits.

Helps in Weight Loss

The presence of alkalines in them are responsible for losing weight. According to a study, the extract of it has helped significantly in reducing weight.

Source: lybrate.com

Eases Diarrhea

According to researches, these are useful in easing diarrhea. Consume them by grinding the leaves and making a juice of it.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improves Digestion

It helps in improving digestion due to the laxative properties it possesses. Make a juice of the leaves to consume and add lime juice for better results.

Source: Herbs That Heal 

Help to Fight Infection

The alkaloids present in them also fight bacterial and fungal infections. One can compare the leaf extracts to the popular anti-biotic drug.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-Diabetic

Anti-Diabetic is the most significant health benefit of curry leaves. Die Pharmazie – An International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences indicated that curry leaves help control blood glucose levels due to its anti-hyperglycemic properties.

Source: ingentaconnect.com

Helps in Fighting Cancer

Carbazole Alkaloids extracts and phenols help in fighting cancer like leukemia, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancers.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Lowering Cholesterol Level

Though there is a lack of research, curry leaves have shown a positive effect on reducing cholesterol levels in our body.

Source: Plant Foods for Human Nutrition

Protecting Liver

They offer protection from the free radicals and viral and bacterial attacks preventing infections. It is also because of the carbazole alkaloids present in it.

Source: Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use something else instead of curry leaves?

You can use basil leaves or lime zest or a combination of both.  Use the same amount of basil leaves that the amount of the leaves your recipe requires.

Is dried curry leaves good?

In comparison, the fresh curry leaves are better. But if that is not available, then you can use dried curry leaves.

Can we eat them raw?

One can use ground curry leaves with buttermilk. Moreover, one can eat tender curry leaves raw too.

How to keep curry leaves fresh in the fridge?

Pat dry all the curry leaves with a kitchen towel. Arrange them on a plate and keep them in the sun for 2-3 days. Afterward, store them in an air-tight container.

Does the curry leaf plant require full sun?

Yes, it needs full sun and moderate water to grow. Therefore, it is grown in places with hot and humid climates and tropicals.