![]() ![]() When Indian recipes call for a bay leaf, they often mean Indian bay leaves, also known as Tej Patta, rather than the Laurel bay leaf. Substitute for bay leaves in Indian recipes Best substitute for bay leaves in soupĭried oregano or dried thyme again are great in soups! If you have a tomato based soup such as minestrone, a small sprig of rosemary can be a nice addition. Best alternatives to bay leaves in specific recipes: Substitute for bay leaf in a stewĭried oregano or dried thyme are delicious alternatives to bay leaves in a stew, or use a fresh bay leaf or two. Ratio: 1 bay leaves = ¼ teaspoon dried basil.īest for: Tomato based dishes like savoury mince, sauces and stews, especially Italian and Thai dishes. Substitute 7: Dried basilįresh basil tastes too sweet to be used as a bay leaf alternative, but dried basil loses this sweetness and becomes more peppery, and therefore tastes closer to bay leaves and is suitable to replace bay leaves in a recipe. Substitute 6: Boldo LeavesĮndemic to Chili, Boldo leaves are commonly used in South America to make tea, and flavour savoury dishes.īest for: Mushroom, fish or vegetable based dishes. Ratio: 1 bay leaf = a small sprig of fresh rosemary.īest for: Soups, stews, lentil bolognese and marinated mushrooms. Rosemary adds a pleasant fragrant undertone, as long as you don’t add too much. This fragrant Mediterranean herb is strong and can impart a pine-like flavour in a dish, like a bay leaf. ![]() You don’t need many of these in a dish.īest for: Pork and cabbage dishes. Juniper berries are fresh and peppery flavoured, with a slightly tart and bitter pine taste that is slightly similar to bay leaves. If you want to use fresh bay leaves instead of ground bay leaves: 1 fresh bay leaf = ½ teaspoon ground bay leaves.īest for: Soups, meat and lentil ragu and stews. Ratio: 1 dried bay leaf = 2 fresh bay leaves (Unless your fresh bay leaves are Californian bay leaves and not Turkish bay leaves, use less: 1 dried bay leaf = ½ fresh Californian bay leaf). Californian bay leaves are much stronger and tend to over power a dish when used fresh. Tip: Use Turkish bay leaves if you want to use fresh bay leaves. As the bay leaf dries, the colour becomes less bright and the flavour intensifies, therefore you need double the amount of fresh bay leaves than dried, or half the amount of dry bay leaves if a recipe calls for fresh bay. Ratio: 1 bay leaf = ¼ teaspoon dried thymeīest for: Other European dishes, such as this Basque chicken, Substitute 3: Fresh bay leavesįresh bay leaves are shiny and bright green (they are the ones I photographed for these images). This slightly sweet and minty earthy Mediterranean herb is less pungent than oregano, and is a delicious addition instead of bay leaves in stews and soup. Ratio: 1 bay leaf = ¼ teaspoon dried oreganoīest for: Italian dishes such as pizza sauce or in this pesto lasagne Substitute 2: Dried Thyme Especially suited to Italian dishes and olive oil based recipes. Oregano is slightly peppery like bay leaves, and goes really well in tomato rich dishes too. However, if you want to add an alternative to bay leaves in a recipe, here are the best bay leaf substitutes: Best alternative to bay leaves: Dried oregano I’m a firm believer that they do, but along the same vein, this means that if you can’t find anything to substitute a bay leaf then you can leave it out altogether. Some people question if adding a bay leaf to a dish actually heightens the flavour of the dish. Indian bay is a completely different species (see end of post for alternatives to Indian bay leaves). There are two main types of bay leaf: Turkish bay (the most common variety) and Californian Bay, which are slightly stronger in taste than Turkish bay leaves and have a minty taste to them. As they are pungent, bay leaves are used sparingly, often 1 or 2 is more than enough in a recipe. Peppery with hints of pine, they are often added to slow-cooked dishes such as soups, stews, sauces and stocks, and then removed before serving. Mediterranean, East Asian, Caribbean, France, America and India (both Laurel bay and Indian bay leaves.) What are Bay Leaves?īay leaves come from the laurel tree, an evergreen tree from the Mediterranean. Substitute for bay leaves in Indian recipes. ![]() Best alternatives to bay leaves in specific recipes:.Best alternative to bay leaves: Dried oregano.Countries bay leaves are used in cooking.But what can you use instead of bay leaves if you don’t have any? Read on for the best substitutes for bay leaves. Both fresh and dried, bay leaves add a distinctive flavour to many dishes. ![]()
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