Curry Leaf Vegan Garlic Bread
Carbs, fat, garlic. Is there anything better than that? Our vegan garlic bread has a little twist on it- we’ve flavored it with curry leaves, nigella seeds, a little nutritional yeast, and some cumin. Flavorful, crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle, this bread is the perfect pairing to your next pasta dinner. Or maybe you’d rather have it alongside an Indian saag- it works wonderfully with Italian and Indian dishes. You’ve been warned- this bread is not for the garlic-shy!
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What Are Curry Leaves?
Curry leaves grow from the curry tree, which is a relative of the citrus family that is native to Asia. They are used in South Indian cooking as a spice, as well as some other regions in South and Southeast Asia. They are distinct from curry powder or curry paste (which is a blend or spices), or curries (which are stews-like dishes that tend to made using curry powder or paste). Despite having the same name, curry leaves and curry powder are not substitutes for each other, or really related to each other at all. Curry leaves have an aromatic quality, and a flavor that is totally unique- maybe somewhat similar to lemongrass. Curry leaves are best when fried in a little oil or vegan butter, making them crisp, and seasoning the fat you cooked them in.
This is my second recipe featuring curry leaves, and after working on this one I can say my curry leaf supply is back at a normal level in the freezer. If you’re looking to stock up, you can find them at Indian grocery stores, or you can also get some on Etsy! I make recipes like this vegan garlic bread when I have large amounts of fresh curry leaves, but most of the time I keep a smaller amount of curry leaves in the freezer, and throw a few in different dishes (like dal or dhokla).
Got Bread? Try one of these Vegan Recipes that use Bread!
- Vegan Pane Cotto (AKA Bread and Bean Casserole)
- Maitake Mushroom Vegan French Dip Sandwich
- Vegan Stuffing with Mushrooms and Apples
- Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Garlic Toasts
- Quick and Easy Cheesy Vegan Croutons
- Vegan Lion’s Mane Crab Cakes with Hollandaise Sauce
- Cucumber and Jicama Vegan Tea Sandwiches
How to Make Curry Leaf Vegan Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is a really simple recipe to get going- essentially, you mix garlic and (vegan) butter together, spread on some bread, and toast. We’ve complicated it a little, as we are inclined to do, but it’s still really quite simple. To start, you’re going to quickly fry some curry leaves in vegan butter to get them nice and crispy. Those crispy leaves can get popped right into a small food processor or blender, along with garlic, more vegan butter, and spices. You can also very much adjust the spices to use what you have on hand and like. Blend until creamy- I found it helped to take a little of the butter out and melt it to help the butter blend. You don’t want it all to be melted, as it’s easier to spread later if it’s still somewhat solid. To get your bread ready, cut it into slices, but don’t cut all the way through the bread (it will be pretty hard to keep your loaf together if you do). Spread a generous amount of the seasoned butter between the slices- you don’t need to spread it carefully, just scoop a little in there. It will melt and cover the bread nicely. Bundle your little garlicy curry leaf loaf up in aluminum foil, and set it in the oven. After 15 minutes your bread will be warm and toasty. Pull it out of the oven. You can cut through the bottom of the slices if you like, or just serve as is and tear the bread apart. I would serve this curry leaf vegan garlic bread with spaghetti, and perhaps a simple salad on the side.
Curry Leaf Vegan Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 50 curry leaves
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. nigella seeds
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare the bread by cutting slices about 1 inch thick, not cutting quite all the way through so that the slices still remain connected at the bottom.
- In a small skillet, melt about 1 tbsp. of the vegan butter. Add the curry leaves, and cook until crispy. Transfer the butter with the curry leaves into a small blender or food processor, along with the garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin, nigella seeds, and salt. Blend until smooth. If you are having trouble blending, you can remove 1-2 tbsp. of the mixture, melt it, and return to the blender. Slather a generous amount of the butter mixture in each cut of the baguette.
- Wrap the baguette in aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. After 15 minutes, remove the baguette and serve.
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