SPICY CORIANDER DIP

On my trip to Vietnam last December I ate the tastiest lime and the freshest of herbs, herbs that I had never seen before, various types of mint, basils and corianders. But the one I liked most was the Sawtooth Herb or the Thorny Coriander which goes with the Vietnamese name of Ngo Gai (that's what I was told by the cruise guide). It simply freshens up every dish, especially the Vietnamese hotpots and The Pho. I am sure it is the cousin of the herb (given the flavour) that you will find practically in every South- East Asian cuisine, Coriander/ Cilantro,  a herb you just can't do without in an Indian kitchen. It reigns supreme, adds flavour and colour to any dish. It is used as a garnish or as part of the main recipe or as a condiment.



spicy coriander dip



I use this herb to make Spicy Coriander Dip as an accompanying dip for croquettes and tempura, pakodas of various kinds, in sandwiches, as a gravy, added to the rice or to the dough, in my flat breads, in my yeasted breads, even in my spring rolls and Vietnamese rolls. It adds colour and flavour to the dish. It is extremely versatile.

I grind it and freeze it in cube form or keep in a glass bottle in the refrigerator ready for use.

Coriander is very low in saturated fats and cholesterol, a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin A,B,C,E,K, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, minerals such as zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium and so on.

Greens are best used immediately after purchase as they start losing their nutritive value soon after plucking.

By the time they reach our home they have lost almost 40 to 50%  or more of their vitamins.

The best way to preserve what remains is by processing it and freezing it immediately.
Greens should always be washed and then cut, never cut and then washed as all water soluble vitamins are lost.
To store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator I discard the roots from the greens that I need to store and air dry them on a kitchen towel, under a fan to remove all the water that may be sticking to the leaves. Then I wrap the leaves in absorbent kitchen paper towels and store in a zip lock bag.
This saves space and the greens too.

For use as garnish you can grow it in a pot on the window sill or in the balcony or in the kitchen garden.





spicy coriander dip with potato croquettes

There are various versions of this dip and people all over India have a different recipe. Some add onions and tomato, or coconut, or raw mango or nuts. It can be made without garlic. I too have various versions but this one can be used as an enhancer for any dish. This is my basic recipe, very simple and uses very few everyday ingredients.

SPICY CORIANDER DIP

Ingredients:
gives about a cup of the dip:

.Coriander leaves..........................3 cups, chopped and tightly packed
.Green chili....................................3 medium hot chopped
.Ginger..........................................1/2 inch piece roughly chopped
.Garlic...........................................2 medium sized cloves
.Asafoetida powder.......................2 pinches
.Cumin seeds.................................2 tsp.
.Lime juice.....................................1 Tbsp.
.Lime rind......................................of 1 lime, grated
.Salt...............................................to taste, approximately 1 1/4 tsp.
.Water...........................................1/4th cup

Method:
.Add all the ingredients and pulverize in a blender to make a fine paste.
.Serve with croquettes or store in refrigerator, or as cubes in the freezer.