How these four leaves add a world of flavours to several Indian dishes

Panki, a Gujarati dish of rice flower paste steamed in banana leaves. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Leaves have their own unique flavour. Here are 4 popular leaves used in Indian cooking:

1)            Banana leaves

Red meat or lentils can be seasoned, precooked and wrapped in banana leaves. While grilling fish, banana leaves can be placed flat on the grill like a mat and the fish placed directly on top.  This not only prevents the fish from sticking and burning but also gives it a good flavour.

As the leaves are big in size, they allow for more space utilization. While they contain polyphenols, their top is covered with chemicals that aid digestion.

Banana leaves are widely used in south Indian, Bengali (banana flower or fish paturi) and Parsi (patra ni machhi) cooking. A very popular Gujarati snack, panki is made by smearing a rice-flour batter cooked between a sandwich of two leaves on a griddle.

Mochar Paturi, a BEngali dish of mocha or banana flower patty steamed in banana leaves. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

2)            Jackfruit leaves

The leaves are mainly used in south Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine for enhancing flavour. Jackfruit leaves are predominantly used for steaming specially as a wrapping for sticky rice cakes and steaming idlis. Dimsum stuffing works well with the leaves. They help to treat fever, ulcers and skin diseases.

Kotte kadubu idlis are steamed in jackfruit leaves in Karnataka. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

3)            Radish Leaves

Radish leaves have a crunchy texture. They can be blanched and used for the stuffing of mooli ka parathas. They can also be used in soups and salads. A young to medium aged leaf is preferred. Another way to use them is in a frittata or quiche. They have a high iron, calcium and vitamin C content. Radish leaves act as a laxative, relieve flatulence and strengthen the stomach. They are also an aphrodisiac.

Mullangi keerai poriyal, a south Indian chopped radish leaves stir-fry dish.

4)            Turmeric leaves

The antioxidant Curcumin is present in the tart flavoured turmeric leaves. They also aid in digestion, reduce bloating and act as a natural laxative. Used both in their fresh and dried form, the leaves are commonly used for wraps and in stock and curry to lend flavour, to make pastes for dishes and to add colour to them. They are also used in baking and steaming fish. Turmeric leaves are used in preparing Mangalorean patholi.

Enduri Pitha, an Odia rice flour-jaggery sweet dish steamed in turmeric leaves. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)