Biriyani ilai (bay leaves)

Biriyani ilai (பிரியாணி இலை) literally means biryani leaf – the Tamil name for bay leaf, from Cinnamomum tamala. The name tells you exactly what it is for. A South Indian bay leaf is shorter and thicker than the European one, with a clove-like warmth rather than a grassy note.

Where ours comes from

Our bay leaves come from Gudalur in the Nilgiris. They are dried whole and not crushed, so you can see the leaf – it should be an even olive-green, leathery, with three distinct veins running down it.

How it is used in South Indian cooking

• In biryani and pulao – the first thing into the ghee, before the onions.
• In kurma and kuzhambu – one or two leaves with the whole spices.
• In sambar and rasam – in the tempering, though not every household uses it.
• In the tempering for poriyal – a torn leaf with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Storing it

Bay leaves keep for a year or more if they stay dry and whole. A leaf that snaps cleanly is fresh; one that bends without breaking has absorbed moisture and will taste of nothing.

Buying and cooking

See pack sizes and prices, and the recipe for Tamil vegetable biryani.