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Bay leaves

Aromatic leaves

Bay leaves

Laurus nobilis / Cinnamomum tamala

Dried aromatic leaves added whole to stews, rice and stocks, then removed; includes Indian tej patta.

Also called: bay leaf, tej patta, defne yaprağı, laurel

  • Warm & sweet
  • Herbal & green
  • No heat
Buying & storing183 recipes

Photo: Misterneedlemouse, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0-1.0)

Flavour and aroma

cinnamon-clove-like (tej patta), herbal and eucalyptus-like (laurel).

Heat
No heat
Forms
dried, fresh

How to use it

  • bloom in fat · Tadka (tempering) technique

    Fry 1–2 whole leaves in hot ghee or oil for 10–20 seconds, until they darken slightly and smell sweet, before adding onions or rice. Remove before serving.

  • dry roast · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) technique

    Roast lightly with other whole spices, then crumble and grind for Bengali or Punjabi garam masala.

  • Fried whole in ghee for biryani, pulao and curries
  • Stocks, soups and bouquet garni
  • Bolognese, stews and braises
  • Pickling brines
  • Rice and béchamel

Identifying good quality

Tej patta: large olive-green leaves with three veins running from base to tip, smelling faintly of cinnamon. European bay: smaller, glossier, with one central vein and a herbal smell.

Origin and history

Origin: Indian bay leaf (tej patta) comes from Cinnamomum tamala and relatives of the Himalaya; European bay from the Mediterranean laurel (Laurus nobilis).. Grown and used: Tej patta is grown in north and north-east India and Nepal. This catalogue record covers both leaves..

Tej patta is fried whole at the start of North Indian, Bengali and Nepali pulaos, biryanis and curries and ground into some garam masalas. European bay is a different plant with a more herbal flavour, though the two are often treated as substitutes.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

Recipes with bay leaves

164 more