(1) "... ... the FLAVOR of FRESH curry LEAVES is SUPERIOR and IRREPLACEABLE";
(2) neither dirt cheap nor easily available in the Bay Area, CA
we decided to try growing them in Singapore - to get the technique right at least (assuming growing conditions in Singapore are conducive?) so that we may have chance to grow them back in our backyard *day dream* back in CA and I can use the leaves FRESH and CHEAP in my cooking, whenever I need *day dream*. Allow me to day dream, pls.
In this week's WHB with Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, let me share some experience in growing curry leaves. They might not have been successful but sharing failure lessons can help people out there avoid the same mistakes. At the same time, successful growers may like to offer some tips.
My parents have a curry leaf plant rooted to the garden's ground. We plucked a few fresh curry leaf stems and hope to use those stems to root.
1st try: We removed all the leaves from the stem before planting them in the pot(see potted plant above) + occasional watering + sunlight conditions.
Result: Failed. No growth or even sign of life observed after 1 month.
2nd try: We removed most of the lower leaves and planted them in a pot + occasional watering + sunlight conditions.
Result: Still failed. No growth observed.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG? Any tips out there?
Meanwhile, I will have better luck as a user of curry leaves - in this simple Indian-spiced Potato and Mushroom concoction.
Curried Potato and Mushrooms
Ingredients: potato, peeled and diced, mushrooms, diced; some butter, 3 to 4 curry leaves, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, garlic and onion
Directions: Melt the butter in a heated pan, saute the onions, garlic and curry leaves till fragrant. Then add mushrooms and potatoes and sprinkle in the spices (turmeric and cumin), mix well. Fry till potatoes and mushrooms are cooked (mushrooms become tender).
For similar recipes, you can also try this chick pea dish.
Tag: indian food, potato, curry leaf
this looks very tasty!
ReplyDeletethat curry looks delicious! i'm sorry to hear that the curry leaves didn't grow well; i hope you try again!
ReplyDeletei don't have the "green thumb", but i bought a curry leaf plant sometime back from a shop near Tekka and it thrives, touchwood!!
ReplyDeletenever paired mushrooms with curry leaves, sounds interesting enough to try.
Delicious! Love your concoction! Sorry no help here, me have no green thumb. :P
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed at the delights you come up with using Curry Leaves. So appetizing:)
ReplyDeleteAs for your plant dilemma, the only thing I can think of off hand is, the plants don't usually like direct sunlight and they can take more than 3 weeks to root. I was lucky enough once to buy curry leaves at the grocer with a few seeds in tact. I planted them and they grew!
Thanks for sharing...
I totally agree with you abt the flavors of curry leaves. As for your problem, I think you need to purchase something called rooting hormone from the plant nursery. It'll help the stems grow roots. Hope this helps! :)
ReplyDeleteTry and try again!
ReplyDeleteI've never cooked mushrooms and potatoes together. Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteLooks good. Well, don't give up, try to grow the curry leaves again!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I have never planted it before. Curry leaves are so cheap and abundant in the wet market. I will try your recipe one day. Hmmm...delicious!
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to try fresh curry leaves. Maybe I will have to try growing some.
ReplyDeleteKeep trying! Growing your own ingredient is so ... high end!
ReplyDeleteI did day dream of having my own tank outside my home that keep live fish. So that if I wanna steam a fish, I just take one from the tank.
Our garden is a non-garden this year and I can't figure out what's wrong. Sigh. I suppose we keep trying.
ReplyDeleteThe curried potatoes look darn good!
U used the same soil from Mother Tiger's garden also?
ReplyDeleteU can try contacting Wilson Wong (admin@greenculturesg.com) from www.greenculturesg.com/
Maybe he can advise u?
p/s: get to know Green Culture SG thru Richmond...
I have not tried cooking with the curry leaves. It is easier for me and readily available the ground one. This should be delish!
ReplyDeletewe got plenty of that kind of leaves 24 hours !
ReplyDeleteCall us Dear, if you need
wow, i'd love to taste this! Thank you so much for the visit. have a great week and till next WS!
ReplyDeleteWell...Unfortunately I haven't got any tips for you on growing curry leaves...however you've now inspired me to try & grow some :0)
ReplyDeleteI just threw all the herbs in a huge flower pot this year...whereas in the past I've been so careful planting & labelling & not a lot of luck...this years produce was amazing!! they just loved being all together!!
I finally got to try curry leaves myself and really loved the flavor. I was hoping I might see a plant for sale here, but no luck so far.
ReplyDeleteAs for growing them from cuttings, you might try cutting a stem with some leaves from your mom's plant, removing the lower leaves and seeing if it wills sprout in water. That works with some plants. Good luck1
Sorry about your curry leaves...but the dish looks so yummie!
ReplyDeletesuch an awesome dish, I can even imaginery smell of curry leaves now! :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks good! How long is the cooking time?
ReplyDeleteI "cheat" by buying a good looking pot from the nursery hehe ...good luck with the cuttings. the curried potatoes look delicious.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot buy a small curry plant and bring it back to California? Some of our nurseries sell small pots of herbs.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear abt your curry leaves. Can't help here cause I've never tried growing them. The dish looks yummy though! Love cooking with curry leaves.
ReplyDeleteI brought some baby curry plants from my mom's home and planted them in a pot in France - it's still striving. I have some curry seeds but never try planting them yet and my curry plant is 3 years old but short and it is flowering as I left France for Singapore. A friend of mine also said the same thing to me that just take the stem and it can grow from there. I have tried like you did but nothing happened.
ReplyDeletekudos
ReplyDeleteMy folks have a few of them. Find someone who has a plant and see if their plant as little plants growing by the trunk. They should be able to seperate them and put it into a pot. Water it once a week no more. Do not put under a heat vent. In Cali, if your weather is warm, if you put it outside it should do fine. Make sure it gets partial shade. Curry plants are fairly fuss free. By the way, my folks are in NJ/NY metro area - to get an idea of the weather.
ReplyDeleteHi! U can try using stem cuttings If you can find... I've tried leaf cuttings and they never worked for me...
ReplyDelete