Marilyn Wightman looks to spice up our homemade Indian dishes, with homegrown herbs.
Herbs native to India have marvellous spicy and tangy flavours that add depth and breadth to food dishes. Some of these herbs used in Indian cuisine can be grown in New Zealand, where the temperate climate zone puts a limit to the number of exotic varieties we can harvest.
In the Manawatu, I can grow all of the ones featured, but the first three need the warmth and weather protection of a tunnel house. In parts of the Bay of Plenty, Auckland and the far north, gardeners can easily grow all of these fragrant herbs. Those in the Deep South will do best with the last three herbs, which will survive anywhere in New Zealand.
Basil – Ocimum basilicum
In its tropical home of India, basil grows year-round and can be plucked and harvested on any day of the year. New Zealand’s temperate climate means basil is regarded as an annual here, despite its perennial status in other parts of the world. In September, a batch of basil seed can be successfully grown. As basil prefers even day and night temperatures, care needs to be taken to get baby basils big enough to be hardy and strong.
Enjoy it fresh over summer and then harvest and pack it into ice cubes (no water required) for winter use, as this retains its flavour. An iceblock can be added to stews and soups in winter. Drying the leaf is not an option as the flavour evaporates along with the moisture.
Garlic – Allium sativum
Used in many Indian dishes, garlic is nearly always served in cooked dishes, rarely raw and supplies a background depth to Indian food. Garlic has an ancient history and the plant now depends on humans to plant it. It does not flower and set seed anymore. Garlic cloves are pushed into the ground in late autumn and are then ready to harvest and use early in the new year. It is okay to cheat and pluck a fresh green clove to use. At this time of year, several blades can be cut off and used in cooked dishes if the year’s harvest has already run dry.
Curry plant – Helichrysum italicum
This plant belongs to the strawflower family and loves a hot, dry climate and place in the garden. Its grey foliage has a penetrating aroma that has all the overtones of curry, hence its name. Snip off several tips of foliage and, when making a light cheese, egg or salad dish, sprinkle the leaf over top before serving. Diners then get just the hint of curry. It loses the flavour when overheated.
Curry powder
In India they laugh – which is kind, as they have every reason to be insulted – if anyone mentions commercial curry powder used to make curry dishes. As the revered Indian cookery expert Madhur Jaffrey once said, “To me the word ‘curry’ is as degrading as the term ‘chop suey’ is to China.”
Curry leaf plant – Murraya koenigii
Also called the curry tree, it has strong flavoured leaves that impart a tangy fragrance to meat and vegetable dishes. The leaves are plucked and added to a spicy stew then removed again before serving. The tree is slow growing, needs shelter and a frost-free area to grow. Leaves tend to droop in winter so harvest them over summer and use dried.
Zedoary – Curcuma zedoaria
A member of the ginger family, this herb’s root is harvested and used like turmeric as a spicy, hot flavouring. Fresh root can be cut, washed and grated. Only a little is needed for vegetable dishes and meat stews. It also helps bind juices in a dish as it is a natural thickener.
The plant grows over 1m during summer and has fragrant, ginger-like flowers. It tends to die back for winter. The root can be harvested after two years of growth. It needs a frost-free situation, but will survive if grown in large pots and taken indoors for winter.
Cardamom – Elettaria cardamomum
This vigorous growing herb clumps up and gradually colonises an area that is sunny and warm. In the far north, its growth exceeds 1m in height; further south it is less. The leaf is spear like and grows from its own stem that has erupted from soil level.
The tough-fibred leaf can be added to soups and stews or made into a hot herbal tea. Ground cardamom comes from the seed. I have yet to find a gardener in New Zealand who has had a cardamom flower and set seed though. Meanwhile, the plant and leaf are enjoyed.
