Curry Leaves

billyblanks

Hi,

Does anybody know where I can get these?? Preferably in south Dublin, I need them by Friday and will find it difficult to get into town before then!


Cheers.

Tazz T

The Asian supermarket near George's market. The sell big bags of dried ones.

Can I ask what you're using them for cos I'd like some ideas to use mine.

billyblanks

Hi Tazz,

Cheers for that, I'm cooking this for 20 people. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17843,00.html

apparently the curry leaves make a big difference, I've made it before without them and it was very nice so I thought this time I'd try it with them!

Does the Asian supermarket open late any evening??

Cheers.

mullmick

I have made this curry- its from Jamie Olivers "Happy Days" book- which is his best book in my opinion.

I have never been able to find curry leaves for it though- I just substituted with some curry powder- but I its probably nowhere near as nice

Its a great curry recipe though- LOADS of onions, so make sure you use your processor for these- its seems too much at the time, but works out really well. It even tastes better the next day, so you can make it in advance

The Sweeper

Curry leaves - the dried ARE NOT A PATCH on the fresh.

IMHO, if you can't get fresh, leave 'em out.

If you insist on using dried, throw them into warming oil at the start of cooking and then REMOVE them. The dried leaves roll up very small and are difficult to pick out when eating the finished product. I find you can usually find cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns and pieces of cinnamon stick easily enough when you're chowing down, but stumbling across whole spices can be a pain in the ass when you're eating curry - dried curry leaves are worse.

(Incidentally, after I fry whole spices in oil at the start of a curry, I take them out and pound most of them in a pestle before returning to the mixture.)

Alun

I have never been able to find curry leaves for it though- I just substituted with some curry powder- but I its probably nowhere near as nice

Curry leaves have nothing to do with curry powder. Like others have said you can get dried ones here without too much of a problem, but in some asian stores in the UK I've seen fresh ones too.

Blub2k4

I know of two places that have fresh off the top of my head, madinah on Moore St and Asian Food Co. on 54-55 Mary St. Dublin.

Alun

Blub2k4 wrote:

I know of two places that have fresh off the top of my head, madinah on Moore St and Asian Food Co. on 54-55 Mary St. Dublin.

Thanks for that. I go to the Asian Food Co. quite a lot and can't say I've ever looked for them to be honest.

Just wondering ... would they be amenable to being frozen do you think? I remember doing that to Kafir Lime leaves and that worked well, in fact the shop I bought them from sold them that way as well, but then they're quite 'robust' waxy leaves if you see what I mean, and don't fall apart when frozen? It's a long time since I used them, and I can't quite remember what fresh curry leaves are like in that regard.

I only ask because I don't frequent the city centre much, and any journey to get such things has to be a special trip, since I'm never 'just passing by'.

Blub2k4

I never froze them myself, I find that they dry quite well in the apartment here and I can use them for a while anyway, I'd imagine it would be worth trying to pop them in an ice cube holder and fill it with water then defrost the cubes as needed, I dont think they have enough of their own moisture to freeze well otherwise. Try that maybe?

<edit>use ice chilled water to fill the cubes so it freezes as fast as possible.

Alun

Thanks. I'd actually have thought that not having much moisture of their own would be an advantage, in as much as they wouldn't collapse like a more delicate leaf such as Basil, say. Kafir Lime leaves worked a treat and they're quite waxy. Took seconds to defrost between the palms of your hand.

Next time I'm passing by the Asian Food Co. I'll pop in and get some and give it a try.

The Sweeper

Dunno if curry leaves would freeze. Other things that freeze well are lemongrass and galangal.

By the way, anybody got any idea what the very large, oval leaf normally floating in my lamb madras is, when I get it from the takeway?

Alun

Minesajackdaniels wrote:

Dunno if curry leaves would freeze. Other things that freeze well are lemongrass and galangal.

Chili's work well too. If I buy a load of them, and don't think I'll be using them all soon, I'll slice them lengthways, remove the seeds and freeze them. Just run them under the tap for a few seconds to thaw.

By the way, anybody got any idea what the very large, oval leaf normally floating in my lamb madras is, when I get it from the takeway?

A betel, or paan leaf perhaps? Can't think why they'd stick one in a curry though. You could always ask them, I suppose

The Sweeper

Aha - it's Betel leaf. My local indian takeaway is really good (as their recent price hike appears to indicate). They aren't attached to a seated restaurant so takeaway is their main focus. The lamb madras always has a betel leaf and stick of cinnamon in each sauce tray.

billyblanks

well......I got my dried curry leaves and made it, to be honest it really didnt turn out that well, seem to lack any strong flavour. Anyway I just made sure everybody was well pissed before eating it, so they all thought it tasted great!