Indian Bay Leaf (tej patta)

The botanical name for the Indian bay leaf tree is Cinnamomum tamala and the leaves of this Cinnamon tree are called Indian bay leaves. The Indian bay leaf is different to the Mediterranean bay leaf. The Indian bay leaf has three veins along the length of the leaf. The flavour is refreshing with a hint of peppery taste. It is an important ingredient in many Indian curries and dishes and are added in the same way as Mediterranean bay leaves to soups and stews. Fresh Indian bay leaves are best for Indian cooking where they are called in a recipe but can be substituted with dried Indian bay leaves which are available in Indian grocery stores. I have used the dried Indian bay leaves in my Sweet Pulao, Garam Masala Powder, Mutton Biryani, Pork Bafat, Pork Masala and Chicken Roast as Indian stores in Sydney do not stock fresh Indian bay leaves. It must be noted that the flavour of dried Indian bay leaves is not the same as the fresh Indian bay leaves as the leaves lose most of their cinnamon flavour and spiciness during the drying process.