curry leaf
1
3.2
- noun
- /ˈkɜri liːf/
:
hoja de curry
- You should sauté the curry leaves along with onions and spices to enhance the aroma of the dish.
- fresh curry leaves
- add curry leaves
Examples
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Robuchon: Southeast Asian food uses many different types of spices that are quite new to me, like the curry leaves.
Blog text (10) -
When the mustard seeds start to pop, toss in the dried red chilies, urad dal, and curry leaves.
Blog text (17) -
The potato insides of masala dosas were left untouched; the curry leaves and peppercorns were carefully picked out and set aside.
Fiction book (2002) -
When preparing traditional South Indian dishes, many people add curry leaves for flavor.
-
In Sri Lankan cooking, curry leaves are often used in coconut milk curries to add a unique taste.
How Aromatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
curry + leaf
The meaning is directly compositional: 'curry' (the spice/dish/seasoning) modifies 'leaf', so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a leaf associated with curry or used as a seasoning. This modifier+noun pattern is transparent and common across languages, so the specific sense (leaf of the curry tree used in cooking) is predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Curry leaf is a literal name: it is the small leaf of a tree that cooks add to curry dishes to give them taste and smell. When the leaves are fried in hot oil they release a strong smell, so the name reminds you that the leaf is used to season food.