5 herbs that you can grow at home

For those who love cooking finding fresh herbs sometimes can be a challenge. But growing some basic herbs at home can be done easily if you know what which plants can survive in a little pot in your kitchen window.

But growing some basic herbs at home can be done easily if you know what kind of plants will survive in a little pot on your kitchen window.

When I lived in the Nilgiris, my help Lima had a little kitchen garden right behind my cottage. There she would grow some of the most aromatic basil and mint I have ever seen or tasted. I would often use the mint for my Sunday Biryanis at home and until date I have not forgotten its beautiful minty flavour.

I chatted with a few friends and family who grow their herbs at home and they shared some interesting tips, take a look…

My cousin sister Madhushree Sinha, a teacher in Bokaro, shared, “One can grow mint, basil, coriander, lemongrass in pots. All these herbs require certain amount of sunlight, water them when you see them getting dry, but be careful as too much of water will kill them. Also make sure you dig the soil once in two to three weeks to help the air reach the roots.”

Nabanita Mukherjee, a Dubai-based market researcher shares, “Curry leaves, coriander and mint can be grown at home quite easily as they just need the right amount of sun and water which of course changes according to seasons. In Dubai more water is needed during the summers and less in the winters.” 

She also adds, “I use coriander leaves for Indian cooking. In the store, a bunch of coriander leaves are available in huge quantities and I eventually end up wasting most of it. Now it’s just so much easier ever since I started growing them at home. I use curry leaves for South Indian cooking especially in curd rice and chicken Chettinad and mint for Moroccan tea.

Delhi-based homemaker Geeta Agarwal, tells us that sometime ago she purchased some seeds online and it took her almost 15 days to see the first sapling sprout through the soil. “Now I am regularly watering them in morning and can’t wait to see basil, oregano, parsley growing in those little pots that will go into my cooking experiments.”

Now she is regularly watering them in the mornings and can’t wait to see basil, oregano, parsley growing in those little pots that will go into her cooking experiments!

We also got Chef Roberto Zorzoli, Head Chef at Romano’s at the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar share his list of the top five herbs that we can grow at home, take a look –

1. BASIL

Basil can be grown in a pot on the balcony or even on the windowsill as it grows best in the sunlight, but fears the heat, as well as the cold.

2. MARJORAM

Also known as Oregano, this herb is Native to northeast and central Asia, and it loves the sun and will not tolerate low temperatures: do not water the plant in an excessive and prevents the formation of stagnant or ground too wet. During the cold season you can place the pot in the house, on a shelf or a corner of the house that can receive light.

3. SAGE

Used since ancient times, sage can also be grown in pots on the balcony or in the house. This plant does not like moist environments, thus avoiding stagnation and make sure that the land to dry: the sage needs little care, prefers slightly calcareous soil and sand, may also be exposed to the sun.

4. MINT

To cultivate the mint in pots using a container bottom and roomy, to be placed in the open: the plant will tend to reproduce very quickly.

5. PARSLEY

Rich in vitamins and highly purifying, parsley flavor to dishes with panache. You can take a pot on the terrace: Choose a fresh angle between light and shadow. Take care to keep the damp earth, then waters the plant every day, avoiding the formation of puddles.

Recipes

Chef Roberto further adds that these herbs can be easily used in home style Italian cuisine such as Pesto basil, rice soup with potato and parsley, chicken scaloppine with marjoram, ravioli ricotta and spinach with butter and sage and roasted lamb mint aroma.

But before you grow these herbs make sure you care for them well to get a desired flavour for your dish and secondly, it is important to understand the herb: when to use it, where to use it and why use it.

If you’d like to know more about fresh herbs and from where to get them, read our feature on Farm to Fork – A Culinary Journey to Trikaya Farms.

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