Cilantro

• Curry recipes usually include fresh cilantro leaves, also known as coriander leaves. Chopped, de-stemmed cilantro leaves add a bright, lemony touch to the rich, deep flavors of curry. Most recipes call for adding cilantro at the end of cooking and just before serving. Cilantro also makes a delicious addition to cold curry dishes, such as curried chicken or egg salad. Stir fresh, chopped cilantro into the salad, saving a small handful to sprinkle on top as a garnish.

Parsley

• An incredibly versatile herb, fresh parsley leaves go well in curries. If you don’t have cilantro on hand, fresh parsley makes a fine substitute. The recipe in "Cook’s Illustrated," Curried Chicken with Raisins and Honey, calls for either minced cilantro leaves or parsley leaves, which can be used interchangeably.

Mint

• Refreshing, summery mint, like parsley and cilantro, offers a delicious contrast to curry’s heat. Substitute mint for parsley or cilantro in curry recipes, or mix chopped fresh mint with salted yogurt to create raita, a cooling condiment and curry accompaniment. Mint tea, minted lemonade or icy mint-based cocktails all make superb beverage pairings with spicy curries.

Basil

• Fresh leaf basil's herbaceous, licorice-like qualities go beautifully with curried summer vegetables. Chefs Quinn and Sharon Hatfield finish off their Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce with a generous handful of torn fresh basil and arugula. Yamuna Devi, author of “Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking,” suggests adding basil to any tomato-based Indian curry and to fresh salads.

Other Indian Herbs

• These curry-friendly herbs are hard to find in American grocery stores, but Indian or Middle Eastern markets often carry them. Fresh curry leaves are strongly aromatic and citrusy and a staple ingredient in southern Indian kitchens. Add them to curries early in the recipe, sautéing them with minced ginger root, chili peppers and other aromatics. Fenugreek leaves have a bitter aspect and work best in potato or spinach curries. Powerfully scented bay leaves are common in Bengali dishes. Use them sparingly to avoid overpowering other flavors.