Scientific Classification


Uses

All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean,Indian, South Asian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Leaves

The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, cilantro (in the United States and Canada, from the Spanish name for the plant), dhania (in the Indian subcontinent, and increasingly in Britain), kindza (in Georgia), Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to parsley but "juicier" and with citrus-like overtones. Some people perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste and/or a rank smell. The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

The fresh leaves are an essential ingredient in many South Asian foods (particularly chutneys) and Mexican salsas and guacamole. Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal and many curries. As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. In some Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes.

Coriander leaves were formerly common in European cuisine but nearly disappeared before the modern period. Today western Europeans usually eat coriander leaves only in dishes that originated in foreign cuisines, except in Portugal, where it is still an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes.

Fruit

The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds. In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green.

It is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form. Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to enhance and alter the aroma. Like most spices, ground coriander seed loses its flavour quickly in storage and is best when ground as needed. For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be stored in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat.

Coriander seed is a key spice (Hindi name: धनिया dhania) in garam masala and Indian curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin. It also acts as a thickener. Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal, are also eaten as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the two south Indian gravies: sambhar and rasam.

Outside of Asia, coriander seed is an important spice for pickling vegetables, and making sausages in Germany and South Africa . In Russia and Central Europe coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye bread as an alternative to caraway. Apart from the uses just noted, coriander seeds are uncommonly used in European cuisine today, though they were more important in former centuries.

Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a citrus character to these styles of beer.

Roots

Coriander roots are used in a variety of Asian cuisine. They are commonly used in Thai dishes.

Potential Medical Uses

Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic Coriander seeds are also used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid In holistic and some traditional medicine, it is used as a carminative and for general digestive aid.

• Digestive Disorders: - One or two teaspoon coriander juice, with fresh butter milk is an effective cure in treating digestive disorders such as indigestion, nausea, dysentery, hepatitis and ulcerative colitis. One teaspoon of heated powdered coriander seeds with water checks loose motions. Half a teaspoon coriander powder with little black salt after meal also cures indigestion.


• Dysentery: - One teaspoon of coriander powder and sugar candy 3 times a day is an effective remedy to cure dysentery.


• Menstrual Disorders: - Coriander powder with boiled rice water checks excessive bleeding during menses. Six grams of coriander seeds should be boiled in half a liter of water, till only half the water remains. Taking this in warm with sugar checks excessive bleeding.


• Mental Weakness: - Boil 125 GMS of ground coriander seeds in 500 GMS of water till 125 GMS remains. Then mix 125 GMS of sugar with it till it gets thick. Taking this mixture regularly cures mental weakness.


• Headache: - Juice of fresh coriander leaves, applied on the forehead cures headache.


• Skin Disorders: - A teaspoon of coriander juice, mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder, is an effective remedy for pimples, black heads and dry skin. This mixture should be applied to the face, after washing it thoroughly every night before retiring. The young plants of coriander are used in chutneys, sauces, curries and soups. The volatile dried coriander seeds are an important ingredient of curry powder and are also used the pickles, sauces, seasoning confectionery and for flavouring spirits, particularly gin. According to Hakeem Hashmi, outstanding unani physician, taking 100 GMS juice of fresh coriander leaves, daily is a great source of all vitamins. And also fresh coriander leaves, should be used in raw form as a flavouring agent, to prevent the loss of vitamins due to heating or boiling