Curry Leaf Tree

Curry Leaf Tree

Since I mentioned curry leaves and the curry leaf tree, in my post, yesterday, I thought a picture or two of the tree and leaves would be interesting for those who are not familiar with this plant.

The botanical name is Murraya koenigii.  The name in my language of birth (Sinhalese) is "karapincha".  But, in English, it is usually called "curry leaf".  We use the leaves as an herb in our cooking.  Fresh leaves are best, but they may be used dried or frozen, as well.  One doesn't generally eat the leaves when added to a dish - they are removed after cooking.  But, the leaves are sometimes shredded and cooked as a side dish of greens.  Or made into a porridge, with rice, for breakfast.

Closer Up, Under the Tree

Earlier in the summer, the tree was full of sprays of white flowers.  The bees love the nectar from the flowers.  Later, the flowers turn into green berries, which gradually ripen and turn red and finally, a dark purple when fully ripe.  Once ripe, the pulp of the berries is edible.  However, the berries are not generally eaten as a fruit and there is a large seed in the center of the fruit, which is not edible.

I picked a few of the sprays of the berries for a Fall arrangement:

Curry Leaves and Berries

There is a small spray of flower buds, too, but it's barely visible in the photograph.

From Another Angle