Curry Leaves Tea: How to Make It and Why People Drink It (2026)
By Neer Vasa, NutriThrive Truganina · Last updated: 27 Jun 2026
Curry leaves tea isn’t widely known outside South Asian households, but it has a long tradition of use for digestion, hair health, and blood sugar management in Ayurvedic practice. Here’s how to make it with fresh or dried leaves, what it tastes like, and what the evidence says about its uses.
How to make it
Basic method (fresh or dried leaves):
- Fresh leaves: 10-15 curry leaves + 2 cups water
- Dried leaves: 1 tablespoon dried leaves + 2 cups water
1. Add leaves to water in a small saucepan
2. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a full rolling boil — high heat destroys some of the compounds)
3. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the water takes on a light yellow-green tint
4. Strain out the leaves
5. Add juice of half a lemon and honey to taste
This makes one generous serving or two smaller cups.
Ginger variation: Add a 1cm piece of fresh ginger to the water while simmering. Ginger integrates well with curry leaf’s savoury aromatic quality and adds its own digestive and warming properties.
What does it taste like?
Mildly savoury, slightly bitter, distinctly herbal. The aromatic quality of curry leaves is present but gentler in tea form than in cooked food. Without additions, it’s an acquired taste — adding lemon and honey brings it much closer to something most people find pleasant. If you’re making it for the first time, use the lemon-honey version rather than drinking it plain.
What it’s traditionally used for
Digestion. Curry leaves tea is most commonly used in Ayurvedic practice for digestive support — drunk before or after meals to stimulate digestive enzymes and reduce bloating or indigestion. The evidence base here is limited but the traditional use is very consistent.
Blood sugar. Some research has looked at curry leaves’ potential effect on blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. Results are promising in animal studies; human evidence is limited. People on diabetes medication should check with their GP before using curry leaves tea regularly, since any additional blood-sugar-lowering effect matters when medication is already doing that job.
Hair health (consumed, not topical). Separate from using curry leaves on hair externally, drinking curry leaves tea is part of some Ayurvedic traditions for hair health from the inside — delivering iron and the same compounds internally. See also using dried curry leaves for hair.
Can you use dried leaves?
Yes. The flavour is slightly milder than fresh leaves and the colour of the tea is slightly lighter, but dried curry leaves make a completely acceptable version of this tea — which is practically useful for Australians outside major cities who can’t reliably access fresh leaves.
FAQ
How do you make curry leaves tea?
10-15 fresh leaves (or 1 tbsp dried) simmered gently in 2 cups water for 5-8 minutes. Add lemon and honey.
What does it taste like?
Mildly savoury and herbal — better with lemon and honey added.
Can you drink it every day?
Yes, in normal amounts. Check with GP if you’re on diabetes or blood pressure medication.
Written by Neer Vasa — Founder, NutriThrive Australia.
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Update log
- 27 Jun 2026: Article created (staged for weekly publishing).