By Niveditha Kalyanaraman
September 10th, 2023
Image Credit: Unsplash
Curry leaves add aroma and flavor to the dish. They are an integral part of any food item and also have a lot of health benefits. They're quite versatile and add an intense touch to food. If you don't have them lying around, here are 7 different leaves to flavor your dish!
Image Credit: Shutterstock
It provides the same citrusy punch and flavor as curry leaves and is a good inexpensive swap. You can use it in fish and seafood dishes, rich stews, soups, aromatic curries and even in sauces and dips. Quantity-wise, one zested lime is the equivalent of eight curry leaves.
Image Credit: Unsplash
With their minty yet deep and earthy aroma, they add a savory finish to boost the flavor of your dish. They are the perfect choice for stews, soups, and comfort foods that need this infusion of flavors. Use less than one bay leaf for half a cup of curry leaves.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Also known as Melissa, they have a minty-fresh aroma and are quite similar to curry leaves. Its citrusy taste makes it a great alternative. Quantity-wise, it’s better to go for two thirds of the amount of curry leaves the recipe requires.
Image Credit: Unsplash
It has a fresh, aromatic, and minty flavor and adding some lemon juice can help to give it a tang and some lemon zest for the citrusy taste. Use the same amount of basil leaves as the recipe suggests for curry leaves.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Not many have heard of it so it isn't used much as an alternative. It's perfect for meaty dishes and provides a spicy, sweet, minty, earthy taste, much resembling cinnamon, only milder. Use it in meats, not so much in vegetable dishes.
Image Credit: Google
The leaves are often boiled, juiced, or used to wrap and flavor meats. Pandan leaf powder is used to flavor both savory and sweet dishes. Its taste is grassy vanilla with a hint of coconut.
Image Credit: Google
It is a fragrant, long-living plant that is native to Sri Lanka and South India. Freshly cut and slightly dried lemongrass leaves are used to extract essential oils that are further used for medicinal purposes.
Image Credit: Unsplash