The Pantry / Indian bay leaf
Indian bay leaf
Cinnamomum tamala · tej patta
Not the bay you know — a cinnamon cousin in disguise.
What it is
The Indian bay leaf is not the Mediterranean bay at all, though the jars often blur them. It is the leaf of a cassia relative — larger, three-veined, and warm and cinnamon-like in scent rather than the resinous, eucalyptus note of true bay. Using one for the other changes a dish.
Where it comes from
Indian bay grows in the sub-Himalayan region and is used across northern cooking. The confusion with Mediterranean bay is worth clearing up, because they are genuinely different leaves doing different jobs.
What it's called
Indian bay leaf · tej patta (Hindi). Botanically Cinnamomum tamala — a cassia relative, not Laurus nobilis (the Mediterranean bay).
In the kitchen
A leaf or two goes whole into biryani, pulao and rich gravies, bloomed in oil at the start, and lifted out before serving. It lends a warm, cinnamon-clove background. For authenticity, the Indian leaf matters — Mediterranean bay gives a quite different, resinous note.
What we know about the claims
A flavouring leaf with no notable health claim; used whole and removed. An everyday warm-spice component.
Choosing and buying
Sold as tej patta in South Asian grocers (UK and US); supermarket 'bay leaves' are usually the Mediterranean kind, so buy the Indian leaf specifically for these dishes.