I’m writing this blog post because there seems to be some confusion about the difference between curry, curry powder, and curry leaves. I often get asked whether you can substitute curry powder for curry leaves (the answer is no), so I wanted to write a post to explain the difference.
Curry is a complicated word with a complicated past. For those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine, the word “curry” has become a catch-all term for all Indian dishes, which can be offensive (more so when people claim not to like “curry” 🙄) considering how diverse Indian cuisine is. At the same time, many people, Indians included, use the word “curry” to describe a dish with gravy (e.g., my mom’s chicken curry). Personally, I think that as long as you’re not ignorant about it, it’s fine to use the word curry.
It’s important to know the difference between curry powder and curry leaves – so, thanks for reading and being curious enough to learn more about this subject.
Here are the questions I’m going to answer for you today:
- Are curry leaves the same as curry powder? (No).
- What are curry leaves, and where can I find them?
- What is curry powder?
Are curry leaves and curry powder the same?
No, not at all.
You cannot substitute curry powder for curry leaves. Curry leaves have a distinct flavor that’s unlike any other herb or spice.
What are curry leaves & where can I find them?
Curry leaves come from the curry tree and are used as a seasoning in South Asian cooking. They have a distinct smoky, citrus-like flavor and aroma. If you search the internet, I’m sure there are people who will compare the aroma and flavor of curry leaves to some herb or another, but I’ve honestly never smelled anything that resembles a curry leaf other than a curry leaf itself.
You can find curry leaves at almost any local Indian grocery store – they’re very cheap, usually only a dollar per pack. If you don’t live near an Indian store, then you can order them on Amazon though they will be more expensive.
How to store curry leaves:
I suggest putting them in a ziplock bag and storing them in your freezer (I do this all the time). Take them out and use them as needed!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes on the blog that call for curry leaves:
What is curry powder?
Funny story, when I first started cooking (many years ago), I was helping my mom in her kitchen and I asked her where she kept the curry powder. She looked at me like I was crazy. My mom, who grew up in India, had no idea what “curry powder” was.
That’s because curry powder is a British invention.
Curry powder isn’t Indian. It’s a pre-made spice mix that includes Indian spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, etc. Curry powder does not contain curry leaves.
When it comes to authentic Indian recipes, you won’t find “curry powder” in a list of ingredients – and if you do, search for another recipe. For example, authentic Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken), Navratan Korma, and Goat Curry, will NOT have curry powder listed as an ingredient.
The truth is, I like curry powder. I used to feel a bit conflicted about this, but the fact is, it’s a tasty blend of spices. It’s nice to use when making quick meals or sides. It’s a great spice mix for creating Indian-fusion or Indian-inspired recipes – just don’t call it an authentic Indian dish because it won’t be. You can add this spice mix to eggs (deviled eggs!), veggies, fish, chicken salad, and have a well-seasoned dish in a short amount of time.
Here are a few Indian-inspired recipes on my blog that use curry powder:
- Coconut Chicken Curry
- Chickpea Cauliflower Coconut Curry
- Mulligatawny Soup
- Indian Roasted Butternut Squash
- Curried Egg Frittata
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Justin says
Okay, but please explain why authentic indian food tastes like it has curry powder in it. Are there normally the seasonings made to make curry powder in it or what?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hey Justin, so curry powder is made up of a few commonly used Indian seasonings so perhaps you taste similarity, but curry powder has a very distinct flavor unlike other Indian dishes. Indian food can vary so much in flavor, especially based on the region. North Indian food tastes so different from South Indian food but because both dishes may include spices like turmeric or coriander, you’d notice some similarity. The more you eat Indian cuisine and the more you vary the dishes, the more you’ll taste the difference and one day you’ll taste the answer to your question. Hope that helps!
Shnobia Ghazel says
For me curry is more than food, it my life. I want to eat curry everyday, but curry powder give you shits.
Lets go curry leaves!!
Ted MacLeod says
Hi Ashley,
I am a semi retired landscaper embarking on growing herbs etc. I am researching different cuisine to try to appeal to people who want fresh herbs and spices to cook with. I came across your blog, your story is wonderful. I am pretty new to Indian cuisine. I am presently going through a local restaurants menu…I love it. Looking forward to trying your recipes. Thank you for clarifying ‘curry”. Cheers! Ted MacLeod
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ted! I wish you lived in Pittsburgh as I’m searching for a landscaper now, haha. Curry leaves are so tricky to grow but I hope you give them a try!
barbara joshi says
Hi… i cook Indian food all the time. I’ve never used curry powder since most of my recipes call for coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric … etc..
Do you have a basic combo of those spices to make curry powder or should i just buy some curry powder?
Nicholas says
There are all kinds of different curry powders on the market and some of them are really great Indian spice blends but I’ve never ran into an authentic Indian dish that calls for the actual powder. I don’t think it’s necessary if that’s what you’re going for. I have a baggie of muchi curry powder that I just used to make an aromatic curry rice. Good stuff in a pinch.
Terri Thompson says
Thank you for this helpful information! I had a recipe with curry leaves and always believed curry was the name for a mixture of spices. Now I know… it’s both.
Bernadette Ryan says
You said that one would not find curry leaves in curry powder. That is not true. I was gifted a container of curry powder that someone brought from me from Sri Lanka and there were whole curry leaves in it.
James says
I learned about curry today! Thank you.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
James, glad to hear that! 🙂
Corinne St. Martin says
Thank you for your clear explanations and the education!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Corinne, glad to hear that you found it helpful!
Cara says
Thank you Ashley, this was so helpful!!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Cara, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know you found it helpful 🙂
William says
I’m really trying to find out how much curry leaf powder equals one leaf. The recipe I’m using calls for 10-14 dried curry leaves, but I only have curry leaf powder (NOT curry powder). I see that for dried bay leaves, the conversion appears to be one dried bay leaf = 1/8-1/4 tsp dried bay leaf powder. I wonder if this is the same conversion for curry leaf vs. curry leaf powder?
JenniferNicol says
Great post! Your website is really cool and this is so informative. I think this post is so helpful to us.
Josephine deck says
When your recipe for ground beef coconut curry calls for 2 sprigs of curry leaves, about how many leaves would this be?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Josephine, it doesn’t need to be exact but my guess would be like 20-30.
Melissa says
Hello! My curry plant looks quite different. The leaves a
Most look like a lavender. Can it be used the same as curry leaves that look more “leafy”?
My Heart Beets says
It’s hard to say without seeing or being able to smell the leaves… if you have a local Indian store near you, I suggest asking them!
Erma says
Hello. From all of my reading on the curry leaves, it is a tree. There is a curry plant, however it is not edible. Please be sure of what you have growing before you eat it.
Dazey says
Wow, thank you for that extra info!!
Daxa says
Hello Ashley,
You have an absolutely wonderful website!!!
I would like to make my own curry powder. Do you know of any good recipes?
Thanks again for all your hard work 🙂
Malisa says
Are there dishes where the curry leaves are used along with the curry spice mix? Or do they normally not cross pots together?
My Heart Beets says
They are not used together — recipes with curry powder may have Indian flavors but they are not actually Indian dishes whereas recipes calling for curry leaves are authentically Indian. You won’t find curry powder in an authentically Indian dish. Hope that helps 🙂
Andrea says
This was so helpful and cleared up a mystery we’ve been talking about all morning. Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Andrea, I’m so glad that it was helpful! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Jayaraj MS says
Great idea! It will help those of us who love the cuisine. I love curry leaves and it’s the lovely smell. Thank you so much for your tips.
Alan P. says
I was wondering what went wrong from several occasions of curry experimental cooking, I had almost all the needed spices(quite some initial investment to get things started from a non-indian supermarket)/ingredients for the dishes I wanted to do, except the curry leaf. Until today I bought a bag of leaf the first time and used them in my basic chicken curry, no idea if it’s also the newly bought ghee and mustard seed I used. It turned out nicely and enjoyed every drop of the gravy. It’s a bit of a game changer to me.
I’m kind of blessed to be in a city (Hong Kong) where there’s a concentration of Indian population around, Indian grocery is just a few subway stations away.
Nice blog posts explaining a few Indian food and things here and there.
My Heart Beets says
Glad you found this useful – great to hear that your chicken curry turned out well! If you try any of the recipes from my site, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you!
Stefanie says
I LOVE curry leaves, and used to have a plant. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive a move so I no longer have it. Lately, I’ve been having a hard time finding the leaves in Indian grocers. I read up on it a bit and found out that there is a disease going around on curry leaves that can be spread to citrus, so the (USDA?) has restricted their import into the US so the disease doesn’t negatively affect the citrus industry. I was reading some of the most recent comments on the amazon link above to the fresh leaves and I am concerned they may harbor the disease in question (people talking about them being wilted, moldy appearance, etc). I would be very cautious purchasing these right now if you have citrus on your property or even in your area 🙁 SAD! I wish my plant was still alive!
lisalu says
I’ve had great success for longer-term storage of curry leaves by laying them out on paper towels (layers if you have that many) and storing them in a ziploc bag in the fridge. Top layer should be a paper towel (to ensure they stay dry). They’ve lasted as long as six weeks like this! The leaves may start to detach from the stem, but they stay green and fresh.
South Indian food has turned out to be my all-time favorite cuisine. Curry leaves are required!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks for sharing your curry leaf storage tip! 🙂
Lisa says
Do you take curry leaves out of the dish after it’s cooked, like Bay leaves? Or do you just smash it up in there?
My Heart Beets says
Great question! Curry leaves are edible. That said, I only eat curry leaves if they’re crisp/fried in oil – otherwise I push them to the side of my plate. They’re not very appealing when soft/soggy.
Galliesallie says
Could you talk about the regional specialties of India? I know nothing about what areas some popular Indian dishes in the U.S. come from. And what region does your cooking originate from?
My Heart Beets says
That’s a great idea! I’ll add that to my list of “classes” 😉 The recipes on my blog and in my eBook are from many different regions (mostly Punjabi cuisine and Keralite cuisine though).
kimberly says
Really, really, really looking forward to more of this series — great idea! It will help those of us who love the cuisine and can’t claim it as our birthright to reproduce it at home more authentically and respectfully.
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that you like the idea! If you have any suggestions for future topics, let me know 🙂