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.

GRILLED STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS IN CAPSICUM COULIS

Amazing how the sun's rays affect you.
This morning the sky is dark with rain clouds, the wild grass and the trees are swaying in the gentle breeze. The rippling effect of this is so beautiful on the canal that I see from my bedroom window.


And I am back in my childhood.
Those lovely picnics by the streams, those mushroom pickings inspite of Grandma's warning not to touch them. To keep us away from them, as they could be the poisonous ones, she told us snakes lived near them. But I used to watch them for any snakey activity and of course found none and picked them. We didn't eat those. But today I would like to, of course the ones picked up by somebody knowledgeable.

There are as many as 14,000 species of mushrooms.
I can understand why mushroom picking is a passion with some. I would gladly join the group of mushroom hunters just to collect them. There are reds and purples and yellows, some of them so beautiful you can hardly take your eyes off them. And they may be poisonous.

Today there are various mushrooms that are cultivated for consumption under sterile conditions like the button, shiitake, portobello, maitake, oyster and the enoki, and of course the very expensive white and black truffles.


grilled stuffed mushrooms in capsicum coulis

Mushrooms are rich in vitamin B, potassium, selenium and dietary fibers and have a low content of fat, carbohydrate and calories. They do not contain vitamin C and sodium. One cup cooked mushrooms give about 3g of protein. Mushrooms when exposed to UV light produce vitamin D2.
More information on nutrition in mushrooms on my posts Chili Mushroom and Mushroom On Toast.
GRILLED STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS IN CAPSICUM COULIS
serves 4 to 6
This dish takes about an hour but you can reduce the time by preparing the coulis and the fillings ahead.

Ingredients:
.Portobello mushrooms........................12
.Olive oil..............................................for brushing mushrooms
.Salt.......................................................1 pinch

For the filling:
.Olive oil..............................................2 tsp.
.Yellow onion.......................................1 cup, very finely chopped
.Garlic...................................................1/2 Tbsp., very finely chopped
.Red chilli..............................................1/2 Tbsp., finely chopped
.Parsley...................................................1Tbsp., finely chopped
.Spinach..................................................3 cups, finely chopped
.Dried oregano........................................1/2 tsp.
.Dried basil.............................................1/2 tsp.
.Cinnamon powder..................................1 smidgen*
.Nutmeg powder......................................1 smidgen
.Black pepper powder.............................1 pinch
.Salt.........................................................to taste
.Lemon juice............................................1/2 tsp.
.Ricotta cheese.........................................2 Tbsp.

For the topping:
.Yogurt......................................................3 Tbsp
.Cream.......................................................3 Tbsp.
.Cheddar cheese.........................................60 gm., grated
.Parmesan cheese.......................................20 gm., grated
.Dried oregano leaves.................................1/2 tsp.
.Bread crumbs............................................1/2 cup
.Olive oil....................................................1 tsp.
.Salt.............................................................to taste

For the capsicum coulis:
.Red Capsicum/Bell pepper........................1 large
.Olive oil.....................................................for brushing +1/2 tsp.
.Extra virgin olive oil...................................1 tsp.
.Salt..............................................................to taste
.Pepper.........................................................1 pinch
.Tomato puree(optional)*.............................1 tsp.

Method:
.Peel and wash the mushrooms. Remove the stems.
.Brush with a little salt and olive oil and set aside.

For the filling:
.Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet.
.Add the chopped onion and a little salt.
.Saute on a low heat for 3 minutes.
.Add the chopped garlic and chopped red chili.
.Saute for another minute.
.Add the chopped parsley, mix well.
.Add the chopped spinach, dried basil and oregano  and mix well.
.Cook until wilted.
.Add cinnamon and nutmeg powder.
.Mix well.
.Check for salt and add more if required.
.Add the black pepper powder.
.Mix well and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
.Add the lemon juice. Mix well and set aside to cool.
.When cooled to room temperature add the ricotta cheese breaking it into pieces.

For the topping:
.Mix together cream, yogurt, cheeses, oregano, salt to taste(if required).
.Mix together bread crumbs, olive oil and a pinch of salt, so all the bread crumbs are coated with oil.

For the coulis:
.Cut the capsicum into large slices and de-seed it. Rub with a mixture of salt, pepper and olive oil.
.Grill the capsicum* till it starts to char a little.
.Remove from oven and puree it.
.Heat olive oil. Add the tomato puree and the capsicum puree. Cook for 1 minute.
.Remove and add 1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil

How to proceed:
.Set the oven at 180 degree C.
.Fill each mushroom cap with the prepared filling, spreading evenly
.Top it up with the cream and cheese topping.
.Finally put the bread crumb mixture evenly.
.Bake for 20 minutes* in a greased baking dish.
.Then set the oven at grill and grill the mushrooms till the bread crumbs turn a golden brown.
.Serve these in a bed of a beautiful red capsicum coulis garnished with fresh parsley leaves.


Note:
*You can avoid the tomato puree if you like. I usually prefer it without it.
*Grill and store your capsicums for upto a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Top with
  olive oil for longer life. I use these in grilled sandwiches, on my pasta, or in my coulis.
*I like to bake my mushrooms before grilling them as I like mine well cooked, in the juices from the
 spinach.