Nirav Tejpatta Leaves (Indian Bay Leaf)

Description

These leaves, known as Malabathrum, or Malabar leaves, and are often erroneously called Indian bay leaves. Though they look similar to the Bay Leaf of the laurel leaf, these leaves are quite different in taste and aroma. True tejpatta leaves such as this impart a strong cassia- or cinnamon-like aroma to dishes, while the bay leaf's aroma is more reminiscent of pine and lemon. In North Indian cuisine, liberal use is made of sweet spices such as Indian bay leaves; two specialties are most common: the complex rice dish called biriyani and the rich korma dishes in which meat is slowly braised in a rich, fragrant sauce thickened with ground almonds and scented with Indian bay leaf. Ground Indian bay leaf is also commonly found in the spice mixture "garam masala." Cinnamomum tejpata