At my parents’ home in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, as at many others across South Asia, curry leaf trees grow in the backyard, suffusing the air with a slight earthiness. That scent only intensifies when the fresh leaves sizzle in coconut oil, an integral step in so much of our home cooking.
If you’ve long been using curry leaves, you know they bring a dish together, making it richer, more robust. A sprig or two elevates, but doesn’t dominate, other flavours. Once fried, they release their sweet, mildly citrusy aroma into the fat, scenting and seasoning vegetables, fish, meat and even rice.
