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Easy to grow on normal soil
Curry leaf can be grown at home.
It is a leaf with qualities so impressive that it continues to remain an integral ingredient of south Indian meals. Though the aromatic and hair colourant value of the Karuvepilai leaf is well known, the fact that this aromatic leaf has anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties remains unsung. It also happens to be an ingredient of our traditional medicine systems.
Though the name suggests so, the curry leaf did not, however, give rise to the phrase ’currying favour’; at least, not by itself. The curry powder is a powdered mixture of assorted Indian spices concocted by the British to imitate the flavour of Indian cooking, and just includes the curry leaf as one of its ingredients.
Nurture
The curry leaf or Murraya koenigii tree can be raised at home, and would give you a little bit of shade in the bargain as it can grow to reach a height of about 4-6 metres. A word of caution here; though the leaves bestow both taste and health, the seeds of its berries or fruits can cause food poisoning when imbibed.
A tree that is native to the subcontinent, it is easy to be grown. If you lack ground space, the curry leaf tree may be grown in a 25-litre capacity pot in the balcony, though of course, it would then not reach its maximum height. The roots of the tree are soft and will not cause any damage to your compound walls or foundations.
The curry leaf tree needs to get at least a six-hour shower of sunlight, and grows well in the normal soil mixture of one part red earth, one part sand and one part manure. Baby plants can be obtained from nurseries or raised from seeds. Curry leaf trees often have a life span that exceeds 10 years.
HEMA VIJAY
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