Coriander Leaves (Kothimir)
Coriander is the ripe fruit of the herb Coriandum sativum, and
can be found as seed, powder, or leaves with fine longitudinal
ridges. The aromatic flavor of coriander seeds are slightly lemony,
great for blending with other spices and commonly used in vegetable
dishes.
Coriander powder is more commonly used in South Indian cuisine
in recipes and spice blends such as:
• Tomato Dosa
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
The seeds add great flavor to beans, lentils, potatoes, onions,
stews, sausages, and pastries, however, coriander seeds are not
interchangeable with coriander leaves or coriander powder, disregarding
the fact that all of them are from the same plant but with different
flavors.
Once used to fragrance the hanging gardens of Babylon and described
in Exodus 16:31 of the Bible as similar to manna. Today coriander
is thought to increase the appetite and widely used in India as
tonic and an ingredient in cough medicine.