Curry Leaf Tree

This is my curry leaf tree. I bought the sapling at the nursery near my house for 6 dollars. I planted it in a flower pot because I am not sure whether it will survive long. It is quite lean and looks small. Quite a number of times, it has been infected with pests that looked like tiny black flies. So I sprayed my homemade concoction of chilli potion on it. A friend had taught me this. While preparing the fish for cooking, do not immediately discard the inards. Instead, use it to make a solution and water it on the plants. It will make a good fertilizer. How true.

If this tree is grown from the ground, it can reach to a few meters tall. The leaves of the curry leaf tree (also called sweet neem leaves) are very fragrant and can be used in many asian dishes e.g. curry laksa, kam heong lala & crabs (or spicy clams, and crabs), etc. Yummy! Yummy!

However, dried curry leaves is not as fragrant as fresh curry leaves, hence the dishes will also taste different, i.e. without the 'kick' or 'oomph'!

My curry leaf tree has started to bear flowers. Its tiny white flowers are also very fragrant.

Scientific name: Murraya koenigii

Family: Rutaceae

Common name: Karivepallai, Kadipalla

Malay name: Daun Kari (malay)

Origin: Sri Lanka

My curry leaf tree has started to bear fruits and what a great surprise! I feel so rewarded. Look at the tiny green berries. It will turn to pale yellow, then to reddish brown and finally deep purple. The colour change process somewhat resembles the chilies that grandma used to plant in her pots. I was very tempted to try eating these ripe berries. However, I was told that the seeds are poisonous, so I didn't take the chance.

Propagation is by cuttings, seeds or suckers that grow from the grown. We can also buy the saplings from nurseries.