Grow Indian Spices Indoors: 6 That Actually Work
Grow Indian spices indoors: curry leaf, fenugreek, turmeric, chili, coriander and tulsi compared by light, temperature and time to first harvest.
Six Indian spices grow reliably indoors: curry leaf, fenugreek, turmeric, green chili, coriander and holy basil (tulsi). Most need 6 to 8 hours of strong light from a south-facing window or a grow light. Give them a pot with a drainage hole and potting mix cut with 20 to 30 percent perlite. Fenugreek gives you greens in about 3 weeks, while turmeric takes 8 to 10 months.
How the six compare
| Plant | Keep above | Light | First harvest | Start from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curry leaf | 60°F (15°C) | 6 to 8 hours, bright or grow light | A few months | Nursery plant |
| Fenugreek | Normal room temperature | Moderate, tolerates a north window | About 3 weeks (leaves) | Seed |
| Turmeric | 60°F, warm and humid | Sunny and steady | 8 to 10 months | Fresh grocery rhizome |
| Green chili | 65°F (18°C) | 8+ hours, strong | Flowers within several weeks | Seed |
| Coriander | Cool, about 65°F (18°C) | Moderate | 3 to 4 weeks | Seed, sown in place |
| Tulsi | Warm | Full sun or grow light | Several weeks | Seed or transplant |
Overwatering kills more of these plants than anything else.
Lift the pot before you water. If it feels light, water until it runs out the bottom. If it's still heavy, wait a day. Root rot doesn't show until the leaves yellow, and by then it's usually too late.
When to pick each
Curry leaf
Pick it if you cook South Indian food regularly. Dried curry leaves lose most of their aroma, so fresh is the only version worth having, and frozen is the backup. Buy a nursery plant. The seeds germinate poorly and the seedlings are fragile.
Warmth matters more than anything. Below 60°F it suffers, and cold drafts in winter are the usual reason it dies. Water when the top inch is dry. Take leaves from several branches and leave the growing tips alone so it fills back in within weeks.
Fenugreek
The easiest start. Seeds sprout in 3 to 5 days. Sow them thickly in a shallow tray, cover lightly, and cut the greens (methi) at 4 to 5 inches, just above the first node. Each sowing regrows two or three times. Then you pull it, add a little compost and resow. It handles a north window better than anything else here.
Turmeric
Pick it if you have patience and a humid spot, like a sunny bathroom or a window by the kitchen sink. Leave fresh rhizomes somewhere warm for about a week until buds show. Then plant them 2 inches deep in a large pot of rich, well-draining soil. When the 12 to 18 inch leaves yellow and die back, dig the whole mass, keep what you need and replant a few small pieces. Wear gloves when you grate it.
Green chili
The most productive plant on the list. One plant in a 10 to 12 inch pot gives you dozens of chilies. Look for Jwala, Indian finger chili or Thai bird's eye seeds, since a generic hot pepper won't taste the same. If your windows are marginal, this is the plant where a grow light pays for itself. Feed every two weeks once it flowers. Pinch the first few buds to build more branches, and pick green and firm for the sharp heat Indian dishes want.
Coriander
It bolts fast in a warm house. Sow a small batch every three weeks, directly into a wide pot, because transplant shock triggers early bolting. A room around 65°F slows it down. When a plant does bolt, let it. The seeds are the spice, and toasted coriander seeds go straight into garam masala.
Tulsi
Holy basil isn't sweet basil. It tastes like clove and pepper, and it handles indoor heat and humidity better than Italian basil does. Water at the base, pinch flower buds the moment they appear, and cut often. The more you harvest, the bushier it gets.
Related: Why Blooming Spices in Oil Makes Food Taste Better
Setup and harvest rules for all six
- Use a pot with a drainage hole. Terracotta helps if you tend to overwater.
- Mix 2 to 3 parts perlite into every 10 parts potting mix. Never use garden soil indoors. It compacts and brings pests.
- Run a full-spectrum LED grow light 8 to 10 hours a day if your windows fall short.
- Feed a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or fish emulsion, every two to three weeks. Container soil runs out of nutrients in 4 to 6 weeks.
On a farm that grows herbs for restaurants, cutting happens early in the morning, before hours of strong light. Do the same at home, and never take more than two-thirds of a plant at once. Harvest right before you cook rather than the day before. Surplus curry leaves, tulsi and chilies freeze flat on a sheet pan, then go straight from the bag into hot oil.
Related: Store Fresh Herbs So They Last 3x Longer
If you're starting with one pot, make it fenugreek. If you cook dal and sambar every week, buy a curry leaf plant first and keep it away from cold windows in winter.
Share this article
