So my cilantro seeded out and after browsing one of my other favorite websites I decided to harvest my cilantro seeds to have my own coriander.

Now I don't know what to do with it. I've never cooked with it before, but now I have a goodly cup (with more ripening daily) of coriander. Would anyone tell me what to use this in in addition to pickling?

Thanks!

Be sure you dry it well or it will mold on you. I don't use coriander often, but I do sometimes put a small amount into soups and stews to give a pungently different flavor. I also sprinkle it lightly over salads or add it to marinated salads. Of course, if well dried, you can plant it next year to provide the cilantro that most people use in salsa and other hispanic dishes.

Oh, coriander is one of my favorites! When you toast fresh seeds in hot olive oil for just a couple minutes, they start to pop, and they get a nutty edge to them and can be added to salads and Asian and Thai dishes. You can cook all herb seeds this way, and they store in sealed containers in the refrigerator.

Easiest is add toasted, crushed coriander seeds to rice with raisins, cumin, butter, paprika, chopped nuts, parsley and fresh cilantro chopped fine, salt and pepper.


You can make a meat rub by putting a mix of toasted coriander and fennel seeds, cumin, brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seeds, mustard powder, salt and pepper on meat, and store it in a sealed container. Don't save any of the rub that has touched the meat or that might fall onto the plate before cooking the meat. It's great before you BBQ chicken. Experiment with other seasonings, too, whatever appeals.

You can crush the toasted seeds and add them to cheese dips, along with lots of cracked fresh pepper, and finely chopped garlic and onion.

They are nice in a tomato-based minestrone with cabbage soup that cooks for at least 1.5 hours.

I hadn't thought of roasting them before putting them in salads or soup--tunnel vision I suppose!!
The rice recipe sounds really good--taste somewhat like a curry without the curry bite?

I like it in pumpkin/sweet potato dishes too.

It's a critical component of an Indian curry (along with cumin, turmeric, ginger, and some others.)

I use a lot of coriander in my SE asian foods, esp. the Thai curry pastes, and since most call for the toasting, and fresh grinding is the best way to go, I keep a spice jar (about 2/3 c) of toasted seeds, grinding it as I need it. When gone, I fill the jar up with untoasted seeds, as a measuring cup, dump it into a skillet, and toast them, to start over again. I keep the large jar of untoasted in the freezer, so it keeps forever, or at least until I finish it.

I also found a type of coriander seed that is even more aromatic - a golden, oval variety, which was recommended in the CB Cradle Of Flavor, and I found them in an Indian grocery store.

Dave

I saved my seeds just to use as seeds for cilantro next year. Seems no matter how much I plant, there's never enough. My bunny loves the stuff, as do I... so yeah.

Wait...

cilantro and coriander are the same plant?

cilantro = the plant?

coriander = the seeds?

Is that right?

quote:

Originally posted by Teotzlcoatl:
Wait...

cilantro and coriander are the same plant?

cilantro = the plant?

coriander = the seeds?

Is that right?

You got it down, Teo! Great plant, of which the roots, leaves, stems, and seeds are usable!

I was just thinking the other day, while talking to somebody about how I can never grow cilantro, due to the fact that it bolts on me too soon, why not grow it for its seeds, since I use so many? Then again, it is so cheap, and I may not be able to get the oval type for seeds (though sometimes just the food seeds may be used...I may have to try this). How large an area does it take to harvest a pound? Just curious...

Dave

Terragon:
Put the recipes in the recipe forum :~D
MMmmm sounds sooo good!

I believe Coriander is also in the spice blend used in Chili, is it not?

Pepper:
I'm looking up an Indian grocery store!

Never thot of toasting them either :~D

Jen:
I use cilantro as both an herb and a lettuce, I put it in soups, salads (pull off lots and lots of leaves into a salad - and basil this way too!) as well. I use it instead of parsley, not partial to parsley. Would love some parsley root tho. I love to make "root vegetable soup"!

I'd love to use cilantro in salads, etc but unfortunately my bf doesn't like it. I mixed some into the taco lettuce one day and he was like "What is WRONG with these, they taste funny!" LOL Only thing he'll willingly eat it in is salsa, so I have to hide it as much as possible. I don't know how anyone could not like it. I'd use it INSTEAD OF lettuce if I could! It's SO flavorful!

I rarely use coriander seeds whole, but do enjoy them ground in many Mexican dishes & Asian/Indian curries.

I just found an interesting article on coriander yield, which is for huge plantings, of course, but does give proportions, as well as days until harvest for two kinds - I assume the Microcarpum variety is the Indian variety I mentioned above, as it has more essential oils, but, as noted, it is much larger, but has a 100-140 day growing season...a bit too long for me! Also, the distance between plants is not much (17-27mm - found this on another site), which surprised me.

Dave

One more thing to keep in mind with homegrown coriander seed - pests.

I enjoy growing cilantro for the fresh leaves only. The one time I allowed the plants to go to seed, during harvesting I noticed a tiny pinhole in almost every seed, which meant that some larval pest had drilled into each one. After some research, I was subsequently advised that freezing the seed would kill whatever was living inside, but really - does that sound appetizing to you? Lol! So the worm is dead; I'd still be grinding it up & eating it! After that, I decided I'd be growing cilantro for the tasty leaves, but BUYING coriander seeds.