Curry leaves are the source of a fair bit of confusion due to a general misunderstanding about the word “curry.” In this case, the word comes from kadhi or kari, Indian names for the plant, and has no direct connection to yellow curry powder or to any one Indian curry dish. They are, however, essential to some Indian curries due to their distinctive lemony and faintly bitter flavour. In general, curry leaves are simmered whole in a dish and removed before eating.
We wholeheartedly agree that fresh curry leaves are better than dry, but if you can’t get fresh leaves in your area, dried ones will still release flavour when cooked. Just use a few more dry leaves than you would if they were fresh. We buy our curry leaves fresh and dry them ourselves, so you will get the freshest dry leaves possible, short of doing it yourself.
