Cilantro, Coriander
One of my favorite herbs is cilantro.
Cilantro (the seeds are Coriander), is a popular herb worldwide with a fresh, bright, sharp taste and the coriander seeds have the subtle aroma of anise and citrus. Cilantro and coriander seeds are rich in vitamins, especially B, C, carotene, and P.
Cilantro is common in worldwide and is very versatile. Raw or cooked, whole or chopped, it can be found in many recipes like chutneys, salads, soups, like Harcho or Chicken Tortilla Soup, spicy curry, stir-fry, guacamole, empanadas, salsas and of course many more. Mix with butter and use on fish or vegetables, sprinkle on black beans, bean soups and chilies or add to Carne Asada Tacos and fish tacos.
One of my favorite Georgian dishes that use cilantro is Satsivi Chicken and Chakhokhbili Chicken. Cilantro goes well with basil, Chicken with Mango Salsa, and other herbs such asmint, parsley, thyme.
Coriander is the dried, brown seeds of the cilantro plant and like I said it doesn’t taste anything like the herb. The seeds taste more like burnt orange when toasted but are mildly sweet when ground as a spice. Coriander seeds can be use for marinades and pickling vegetables, flavoring vinegar, vegetable stew, rye bread, sausages, brewing, canned fish, soups, like Pumpkin Puree Soup with Vegetables and Bacon.
They are also an important spice in garam masala, Indian curries, and chutneys. Often coriander is combined with cumin seeds. I add coriander to almost every dish I cook in a Tagine, like Chicken Tajine with Apples and Pears.
And here is a tip for you: slightly roast the coriander seeds in a dry frying pan, then use them in your recipe, the taste of the dish will become brighter and more fragrant.
Also the roots are useful too, especially in Asian cuisines. They are commonly used in Thai soups and sauces.
