Herbs

Coriander leaves are called dhania or hara dhania in Hindi and kothimbir or kothamalli in other Indian languages, known in German as Koriander. The delicate green leaves have a bright, fresh, slightly citrusy flavour and are used raw rather than cooked for long.

They are used as a finishing garnish over dals, curries and chaat, blended into green chutney, and mixed into salads and raitas.

How to use

• Wash well in a bowl of water to remove grit, as it grows close to the soil.
• Chop just before use, including the tender stems, which carry a lot of flavour.
• Wrap loosely in a damp cloth or paper and store in the fridge; use within 3 to 5 days.

Curry leaves are called kadi patta in Hindi and karivepaku or kariveppilai in South Indian languages; they are known in German as Curryblätter, though they are unrelated to curry powder. The small, glossy green leaves have a distinctive aromatic, slightly citrusy flavour that is released when they hit hot oil.

They are used almost everywhere in South Indian cooking: tempered in hot oil at the start of sambar, rasam, and dal, or added to chutneys and vegetable stir-fries.

How to use

• Strip the leaves from the stem before use, or add small sprigs whole.
• Fry briefly in hot oil with mustard seeds at the start of cooking to bring out the aroma.
• Store in the fridge in a sealed bag or container, where they keep for one to two weeks; they can also be frozen for longer storage.

Mint is called pudina in Hindi, sold in German as Minze. The small, bright green leaves have a strong, cooling, sharp flavour and are almost always used fresh rather than cooked for long.

It is blended into mint chutney served with samosas and snacks, added to raita, and used in drinks such as mint-flavoured lassi or lemonade.

How to use

• Pick the leaves off the tougher stems before chopping or blending.
• Add towards the end of cooking, or use raw, since heat dulls its flavour quickly.
• Store wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge and use within a few days, as it wilts quickly.

Mango leaves, called aam ke patte in Hindi, are the glossy green leaves of the mango tree. They have no established German name, as they are used for decoration rather than as food.

They are traditionally strung together into a toran, a decorative garland hung across doorways for festivals, weddings, and religious occasions, and are also used in some pooja rituals.

How to use

• Wipe the leaves clean with a soft, damp cloth before use.
• Thread the stems onto string or thread to make a garland or toran.
• Keep at room temperature and use within a few days, as the leaves dry out and curl over time.

Spinach is called palak in Hindi and Blattspinat or Spinat in German. It has tender, flat green leaves with a mild, slightly earthy flavour that wilts down significantly once cooked.

It is a base for palak paneer and saag, is cooked into a simple palak sabzi with garlic, and is added to dal to make dal palak. In German cooking it is common as a creamed side dish.

How to use

• Wash thoroughly in a few changes of water, as sand collects in the leaves.
• Trim any thick, tough stems before cooking.
• Store in the fridge and use within 2 to 3 days, as the leaves wilt and spoil quickly.

Betel leaf, called paan ka patta in Hindi, is a glossy, heart-shaped green leaf with a peppery, slightly bitter taste. It has no common German name and is not a food ingredient in the usual sense.

Its best-known use is as the wrapper for paan, a traditional after-meal preparation folded around ingredients such as fennel seeds or grated coconut. The leaves are also used whole in some South Indian religious and festive rituals.

How to use

• Rinse gently and pat dry before use, as the leaves bruise easily.
• Trim the thick central stem if it feels tough.
• Wrap loosely in a damp cloth and keep in the fridge; use within a few days, as the leaves dry out and darken quickly.

Gongura, commonly called sorrel leaves in English, is a Telugu-region green leafy vegetable with a strongly sour, tangy flavour. It has no established German name. The leaves are small, pointed, and slightly reddish at the stem.

It is best known as the base of gongura pachadi, a sour, spiced chutney, and gongura mamsam, a mutton curry cooked with the leaves, and it can also be cooked into a simple dal.

How to use

• Pick the leaves off the stems, keeping only the tender leafy parts for most recipes.
• Wash thoroughly before chopping or cooking, as with other leafy greens.
• Store in the fridge wrapped in paper and use within a few days, as the leaves wilt quickly.

Banana leaf, called vazha ilai in Tamil and kela ka patta in Hindi, is the large, broad leaf of the banana plant. It has no German culinary name, as it is used purely as a natural wrapper and serving surface rather than eaten.

It is traditionally used as a plate for South Indian meals, as a wrapper for steaming certain dishes, and for festive and religious food presentations.

How to use

• Wipe the leaf clean with a damp cloth before use.
• Pass it briefly over an open flame or hot pan, or dip it in hot water, to make it more flexible and glossy before serving or wrapping food on it.
• Keep in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag and use within a few days, as it dries out over time.

Fresh moringa leaves, one bunch — the small round leaves of the drumstick tree, known as murungai keerai, munaga aaku, sahjan or shigru, and in German as Moringablätter.

The leaves have a green, mildly bitter taste, closer to a strong spinach than to a herb. They are cooked, not eaten raw: stripped from the stems and stir-fried as murungai keerai poriyal with coconut and dal, simmered into sambar and rasam, cooked with moong dal as a kadalai paruppu keerai, or added to a Kerala thoran.

Pull the leaves off the woody stalks before cooking, and cook them briefly — long cooking makes them darker and more bitter. Wrap the bunch in a damp cloth or paper, keep refrigerated, and use within two to three days, as the leaves wilt faster than most greens.

Fenugreek leaves are called methi in Hindi, known in German as Bockshornklee. The small, slightly rounded green leaves have a distinctive mild bitterness that mellows with cooking.

They are cooked into methi sabzi or aloo methi with potatoes, added to parathas, and used in a light dal preparation. A small amount is often enough, as the bitterness is noticeable in larger quantities.

How to use

• Pick the leaves from the stems, discarding thick or woody stalks.
• Wash thoroughly, as sand collects easily between the leaves.
• Store in the fridge wrapped in paper or a cloth and use within a few days.