I Live in Israel, and I Have a Small Plant Called the Curry Plant

Question

It has straight spikey leaves, they are an olive green colour, and they smell of curry. What is this plant called, because I wanted to use it in making curry, but when I looked at the leaves the Indians call the curry plant, it is nothing like my plant.

Answer 1

The plant I know as curry is Helichrysum italicum. There is another plant, Murraya koenigii, also known as curry. You can use a search engine to find images for both to determine which plant you have. Actually neither of these plants are what Indians know as “curry”. Sometimes Murraya is used as part of curry powder. True curry is a mixture of many different herbs and spices that each person makes to his/her own taste. We grow Helicchrysum and sell it as “Curry plant”, but put the disclaimer in information that it is not the same as curry powder. However, it can be used in cooking, but it is used more for the scent than the flavor. I use it primarily in roasting meat.