Tejpatta In the ever-expanding repertoire of the finest herbs, spices and seasonings, Indian Bay leaves are the most flavoursome and aromatic leaves essential in the Indian cuisine as they impart a truly authentic taste to numerous recipes. The leaves are olive green in colour and it has three veins as opposed to the popular Laurel Bay leaf. The Latin name of Bay leaf is Cinnamomum tamala and it belongs to the Lauraceae family but it is believed to be from the Cassia plant.
The leaf has a strong aromatic flavour, resembling cinnamon (Ilaichi), cloves (Lavang) and cassia. The dried leaf is crushed and added to curries, and sometimes, it is used whole in Biriyanis and lentil soups. It is widely found on the mountains of North-East India and the borders of Nepal. In the Mughalai cuisine, it was extensively used in Kormas and added to Garam Masala to prepare Kashmiri flavoured curries.