Coriander

Coriander is a funny herb. You either love it or can't stand the smell or the taste. It is difficult to describe it - sort of musty, I suppose.

Coriander or cilantro are not different names for different herbs; it all depends where you hail from. But ground coriander always refers to the ground seed. You can buy dried leaf or even bottled but I prefer to buy the real thing. Read the ingredients on the bottles - sometimes there are things in there you don't want. The added bonus of buying the real thing is that is comes with the roots which are used for a real flavour burst in Thai cooking or making your own Thai curry paste. (if you want the recipe for this make a request)

I try to keep it growing in my greenhouse all winter because it's in the winter that I want to have the Thai and Indian curries comfort foods. But I have some lovely summer recipes as well.

Primarily coriander is used as a garnish. Tear it rather than cut it and sprinkle it over hot rice or hot couscous. It goes really well over scrambled eggs as well!

Let's start with a wonderful healthy chickpea salad good for winter or summer.

Chickpea Salad with Coriander (makes a party salad for 10)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 4 cans garbanzo beans, drained (chickpeas)
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a bowl, crush together the garlic and salt. To prepare the dressing, mix in olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the garbanzo beans, yellow bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Mix in the dressing. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

Or you could try an amazing Indian Salad called Bhel Puri. This is made from a base you can buy at Moshem's in Petone or Newtown. This is a package of dried ingredients to which you add-

wedges of tomatoes

sliced capsicum (variety of colours)

thin slices of red onions

a large handful of torn coriander

The dressings are included which must be made in advance. 

I hope you give coriander a try. If you have any questions please ask.