Bay leaf is a misunderstood herb in many different countries, but it has immense importance in few countries especially in the Asian countries. Bay leaf mostly comes in the dried leaf form which is used as whole while cooking.
The taste is bitter and pungent while the bay leaf is quit famous due to its aroma. Any dish cooked with bay leaf over it, tends to result with great taste and flavors. Bay leaf can also be used in powdered form, but most commonly the whole dried leaf is used while cooking.
Here are few easy tips and tricks that you must follow while cooking with bay leaf.
- While cooking soup, you should always make it a point to cook the soup with bay leaves. Usually bay leaf is bitter in taste, you must let the bay leaf get fried completely in the oil, so that it losses it bitter taste and adds flavor to the soup.
- While preparing sauce, you can scramble the bay leaves and then add it to the sauce. It would taste very delicious especially if it is tomato based sauce.
- You can even use bay leafs while preparing tea. The simple trick to make you tea tastier with bay leaf is let the water boil with some scrambled bay leaves. Once the water boils with bay leaves, add the rest of the ingredients and then proceed.
- Cooking chicken curry with bay leafs suggests you to let the bay leaf get fried with the hot oil and only then you can proceed with the rest ingredients. This is to make sure, the leaf looses the bitter taste and adds some aroma and also flavor to the dish.
- You can add a bunch of bay leaves while cooking the barbeque fish or chicken. Grilling the food stuff with some bay leaves on them can help to add flavor to the food and also release a tempting delicious aroma.
- Make an aromatherapy blend. Combine 2 dried bay leaves, 1 chamomile tea bag, 2 tablespoons dried rosemary and a few drops of rosewater in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for 45 minutes. Strain and add to a bath or foot bath.
Health benefits of bay leaf: Here are some of the health benefits of bay leaf
1. Controls Diabetes: It is believed that consuming a tablet with its main ingredient of bay leaf can help to lower the sugar level in the body. It is said that bay leaf contains polyphenol and high amount of anti oxidants which helps to control the sugar. According to various studies it is been proved that flavoring enough with bay leaf or just drinking bay leaf water can help to control sugar level in the body.
2. Controls cholesterol: Drinking bay leaf water can also help t control cholesterol level. A 2003 Study has proved that bay leaf can help to control diabetes as well as cholesterol within few months of practice. It contains high amount of anti oxidants which helps to control the cholesterol in the body further aiding in cutting down of extra unhealthy fats.
3. Prevents Cancer: Due to high amount of anti oxidants found in Bay leafs, they are used in various medical purposes too. Various medicines contain bay leaf which helps to prevent formation of canceric cells. The oxidants found in bay leaf can help to fight against harmful cells further leading to cancer. There is a deep research going on how much extracting bay leaf and its powder can help to cure cancer completely.
4. Visual sight: Bay leaves are an excellent source of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is extremely beneficial for providing a better visual sight and also helps in maintaining mucus membrane and skin health too. Consumption of bay leaf powder or tables can help to improve the visual sight.
These were some of the benefits of bay leaf over health. So, next time always try to include them in your everyday meal. Have a great cooking.