Bay leaves

The Indian bay leaf is the sharp-edged leaf of the cassia tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum or zeylanicum), not the Mediterranean Laurus nobilis. Indian and Pakistani stores stock large bags of Indian bay leaves, but feel free to use the Mediterranean variety if you can’t locate a source or happen to have some growing in your yard. When sizzled in oil, these leaves infuse it with an aromatic sweetness, and they continue to release their aroma as long as they stew in a curry. I always recommend removing bay leaves from the dish before you serve it, so that someone at the table does not accidentally swallow one.