When growing up, I was a part of the barter system in our ancestral home. Early every morning, we obtained curry leaves from the door-to-door vegetable seller in exchange for a handful of uncooked rice. The family must have appreciated the profitable transaction through a tiny hand — less rice, but more leaves.
Here in the U.S., however, curry leaves are expensive to purchase. In the 1970s, some ethnic stores on the East Coast sold dried curry leaves as desperate substitute for fresh ones. Today they are imported from Florida and Hawaii — although I’ve heard that the import was temporarily banned recently on suspicion of them harboring pests, and the price was doubled.
Luckily, Mountain View’s climate is good for curry leaves. About 10 years ago, I got a small plant from a friend, which over the past eight years has produced many offspring, some of which are now growing in the home gardens of my friends across the Bay Area. Below are some tips on growing your own curry plants.
Light and Heat
Curry plants (murraya koeginii) don’t mind humidity. They need warmth and plenty of direct sunlight, and flourish in the summer. In hot climates they grow to be big trees. Tiny and small plants need to be shielded from frost, cold and harsh winter weather.
Soil
They need deep soil with good drainage. If such soil is not available on the ground, they can be potted but won’t grow as big. Good potting soil mixed with compost is sufficient for young and mature plants. I use the SuperSoil from Home Depot and Compost from Whole Foods.
Care
They take time to grow when they are young. Dormant plants are not dead, but will flourish in the summer. Follow the sun by moving the pots. If the leaves look droopy, the plant needs water; if they look yellow, they need light and nourishment. Occasionally, I feed them tea water (with no milk or sugar) depending on their growth and health. Tea seems to help them grow well and be healthy; also, it’s a good way to recycle tea leaves.
Propagation
A plant takes about three years to mature, and produces baby plants from the root. It produces berries later on, which can be used as seeds. Baby plants can be transplanted into their own pots and need continuous care for weeks to help them absorb the “shock” from re-potting. Use moist topsoil and good light (direct sunlight during the day and bright moonlight or indirect light from power lamps at night). They take at least three weeks to grow new roots in the new soil. If you see new leaves on them, it means they have rooted.
Usage
Curry leaves are used as garnish in South Indian cooking. They are also touted for medicinal benefits. Leaves can be picked for culinary use when a plant is about 24 inches tall, but remember: Be frugal and pick just one sprig from the bottom. Do not plunder the plant when it’s small.
Rajam Ramamurti is a longtime resident of Mountain View. 2 V.S. Rajam
