What to do with leftover lime leaves

delicious. team

Written by the expert and completely food-obsessed team behind this website, our social channels and our monthly magazine.

Find more

Fresh kaffir lime leaves are intensely aromatic and a wonderful addition to many Thai and Southeast-Asian soups, curries, and stir-fries. Discover below how to use up any remaining fresh lime leaves.

Recipes with fresh lime leaves

How to use leftover fresh lime leaves

Lime leaf and cardamom rice pudding
Heat 600ml milk and 200ml double cream with 5 crushed cardamom pods and 3 fresh lime leaves until steaming, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain (discard flavourings), stir in 80g pudding rice and 40g caster sugar, pour into a greased dish and bake for 2 hours at 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2.
Asian-style Sea Bream
Put 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp finely chopped red chilli and 2 fresh lime leaves in the cavity of a whole sea bream. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a splash of olive oil and lime juice, wrap in foil and cook at 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 for 15 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily.

Tip: If you’re unable to use all your lime leaves before they go bad, simply place them in a Tupperware or zip lock bag and put them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.