Growing curry leaves, mint and chillies at home
Four plants cover most of what a Desi kitchen wants fresh and can't buy good. All of them grow in pots.
The four worth growing
The big win — dried leaves are nearly worthless and fresh ones are hard to buy. Needs warmth and full sun; indoors by a bright window in cold climates. Slow to start, then generous for years. Let it rest in winter and don't overwater.
Almost unkillable, and invasive — keep it in its own pot or it takes the bed. Cut it back hard and it thickens.
Grows fast from seed, bolts fast in heat. Sow a small batch every three weeks rather than one big pot. Crush the seeds lightly before sowing.
Happy in a pot in sun; one plant produces more than a household uses. Pick them green and often to keep it producing.
Also common
- Tulsi (holy basil) — grown as much for worship as for use, often in a decorated pot near the door and watered daily as part of the morning routine.
- Methi (fenugreek) — sow seeds thickly in a tray and harvest the greens young; the same seeds from your spice jar will sprout.
- Ginger and turmeric — a piece of fresh rhizome with a bud, buried in a wide pot, will grow. Turmeric especially rewards patience.
Curry leaf and chilli are tropical and will die in frost. Bring them in before the first cold night, keep them by the brightest window, water much less over winter, and accept some leaf drop — they usually come back in spring.
Last updated: 2026-08-11
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