my Herb Garden

thyme
Thyme is a herb of the mint family Lamiaceae and it is the dried leaves and flowering tops that are used to flavour food. The shrub is native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean and central Asia. Essential oil extracted from thyme has antiseptic and anesthetic properties. Thyme has a special scent that goes well with many dishes. It gives an excellent taste to fish when used as a marinade. It is also one of the ingredients used in many herbal mixes, and adds a delicious fragrance to stews and meat dishes.

baby basil growing.... ^_^

ulam raja / cosmos plant
ulam raja if translate it directly means 'king's salad'. this herb is usually eaten raw with sambal belacan (chili paste mixed with shrimp paste and some other ingredients). The Malays believe that the herb is good for health and contains anti-aging properties or awet muda, and that it tones up blood circulation, strengthens the bones and promotes fresh breath.

basil / selasih
Basil is said to have a warm, resinous, clove-like flavor and fragrance. This stimulating fragrance fills the air when one brushes against a basil plant in the garden. The leaves and flowers are used as a condiment to flavor salads, soups and stews in the West. From tomato, egg or cheese dishes to meat, sausages, fish sauces and even vegetable juice drinks, basil is added to enhance the flavor of the dishes.

In Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, basil is commonly used in meat dishes and noodles. The Chinese makes an appetizing soup with basil leaves, eggs and dried shrimps. However, the flavor of fresh leaves intensifies when cooked. For maximum flavor, add basil towards the end of the cooking.

water spinach / kangkung tree
ermmm water spinach is very easy to grow and taste great too...it can be eaten raw or cooked like you would with spinach.

rosemary
one of my favorite herbs, they have a bitter, astringent taste, which complements a wide variety of foods. A tisane can also be made from them. When burned they give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosemary is extremely high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6

pandan leaves aka screwpine
Daun pandan is the Malaysian and Indonesian name for this fragrant leaf. Screwpine leaf was the name given by English traders who traveled to Asia. In Southeast Asia, pandan leaf is used to wrap chicken, meat, fish, and desserts before they are barbecued or steamed. They add distinct, sweet, floral-like notes to these products. Malaysians, Indonesians, and Thais add the bruised leaves or its extract to flavor rice dishes and glutinous and tapioca-based desserts and puddings. The whole leaf is used to wrap chicken and other meats before they are grilled or barbecued

not sure what it is but it is very fragrant, the plant looks like chive but smaller, really i'm not sure coz i didn't use the leaves to cook but the roots that also looks like between garlic and shallot. ...next to it is actually lemon grass

peri peri /bird eye chili
this plant seem to be very happily planted in my pot it grew double its size just in 2 weeks and since then this baby never stop producing hot chilies / hot peri peri =p

daun salam / Indian bay Leaves
I never knew that the salam leaf is a family of bay leaves...no wonder the leaves looks familiar and not to mention fragrant....lol...anyway if i were to translate the name literally it means peace leaf...The leaves may be used fresh or dried; they are common in the cuisines of Sumatra, Jawa , Bali and of course Malaysia. They are applied to meat and, to a lesser extent, vegetables; in order to release their flavor, they must be fried or cooked for a while.

my parents eats this as salad but in a rather small portion with other Malay salad such as cucumber, kesum, long bean, ulam raja etc...

daun kesum...i'm not sure what it called in english but i think its Vietnamese Mint (i stand to be corrected) is alos known as the laksa leaf amongst the Malaysian. Very fragrant. it is used in laksa gravy, asam pedas, nasi kerabu ...
it grows rather easily the leaves are elongated, with soft stalk, each segment of the stalk has the potential to grow into another bunch of mint leaves because roots sprout from the stalk itself.

mint
The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint is not a problem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams.

and that all from my back yard garden herbs...my latest craze hehehehe~