Bay Leaves (cassia) - Tejpaat, Tej-patta - (तेजपत्ता)

Bay Leaves (cassia) - Tejpaat, Tej-patta- (तेजपत्ता)
From the aromatic evergreen tree, this herb is also known as Indian cassia, cinnamon leaves and tej patta.  The dried leaves are oblong shaped and usually have three prominent veins.  The dried leaves have a warm, sweet, and distinct cinnamon aroma.  They are usually lightly sauteed for all kinds of spiced meat and fish curries, savory rice dishes, lentils, and some vegetables and are usually removed from the dish before it is served.
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The highly scented dried cassia leaves becomes dull brown when dried.  They are tough to grind, so commonly used whole,  instead of ground form. They can be used fresh, but the dried ones are most common.    

The close-up look of dried cassia leaves.

Bay leaves are one of the important spice ingredients in the preparation on Nepali garam masala (spice mixture).