Tej Patta is the true bay leaf used in Indian Cuisine.
If you are cooking Indian food, for authentic flavor and aroma, NEVER settle for the Mediterranean Bay Leaves; always use Tej Patta.
It has a fragrance similar to cinnamon with hints of cloves. Premium quality Tej Patta is not easily available in the US.
Tej Patta is easily confused with the Bay Laurel or Bay Leaves from around the Mediterranean. The biggest identifying feature of Tej Patta are three veins running longitudinally from one end to another, whereas the Bay Laurel has only one.
Tej Patta and the Bay Laurel are from the a similar family of plants. But that's where the similarity ends. Tej Patta from the plant Cinnamomum tamala while the Bay Laurel is from Laurus nobilis.
