Curry leaves for better health

Every ingredient that goes into Indian food preparations has some medicinal or nutritional value. Curry leaves too have their benefits. They are a good source of Vitamin A and calcium. Down South, nearly all food preparations use curry leaves in either tempering a dish or as a spicy powder to be eaten with rice topped with a small dollop of ghee, or even as a must-use ingredient in chutneys.
The humble curry leaf tree is native to India. Fresh leaves taken with a few pepper corns early in the morning are believed to bring down blood sugar levels (the West is claiming breakthroughs in researching properties of curry leaves that help control diabetes, while Ayurveda has advocated that for centuries!) An infusion of roasted leaves is used to stop vomiting. Healing properties also encompass skin conditions and digestion problems. They are also used in many herbal preparations. Steam distilled curry leaf also yields essential oils used in manufacture of soaps. The wood is durable and farmers are known to use it to make agriculture tools.
The best part of the curry leaf is that, just like tulasi, you can grow it in a small pot on your kitchen window sill or balcony!