Coriander is a fresh and zesty tasting herb, and a cornerstone for cuisine in Asia, South America and the Mediterranean. Because of its strong flavor, it can often divide opinion but you’ll find no shortage of truly passionate advocates! The great news for coriander enthusiasts is that every part of the herb can be used in dishes, both for seasoning and vibrant decoration. So, if you’re looking for ways of getting more coriander into your life, try these three creative recipes, and make more use of this distinctive herb.
Three ways to make more use of coriander
Coriander Chicken
Chicken fillets (breast or tenderloin)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Coriander Butter:
25 g butter
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 cm piece of ginger
1 small red chili
1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
0.5 dl demerara sugar
½ a bunch of fresh coriander
First, prepare the coriander butter. Cut the chili and grate the ginger and garlic cloves as small as possible. Add butter to the pan, let it melt then gently simmer. Add the chili, ginger and garlic, and briefly fry them in the butter. Stir the coriander seeds and brown sugar into the butter and leave the pan on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved into the mixture. The end result is that the coriander butter should have a syrup consistency. Chop up some fresh coriander with a knife and add it to the butter.
Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper on both sides and cook them in a pan until they have started to color. Drizzle the coriander butter over the grilled chicken then chop and sprinkle the rest of the fresh coriander on top of the fillets. Serve with rice or fried vegetables.
Coriander Salmon
Salmon or rainbow trout fillet
1 dl soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
½ bunch of fresh coriander
Cut the coriander into small pieces and mix all the ingredients together. Pour the sauce evenly over the salmon fillet and bake in the oven at 175 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked. Dress the well-cooked salmon with the rest of the fresh coriander and serve with salad or noodles.
To give the dish a more festive presentation, gently roast sliced halves of lime at the side of the oven pan. When the lime wedge has darkened on the outside, the juice will have a slightly sweeter flavor. Diners can then squeeze the lime onto their portion to suit their taste.
Coriander Pesto
Easy coriander pesto in the blink of an eye by blending leftover coriander stalks.
1-2 bunches of coriander stalks (add extra stalks if desired)
2 cloves of garlic
0.5 dl of pine nuts
1 dl grated parmesan
1 lemon
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 dl olive oil
Grate the lemon zest and squeeze the juice into the blender. Add the other ingredients but don’t add the parmesan. Blend to create your desired thickness of pesto. Adding extra olive oil will create a more fluid consistency. Finally, add the grated parmesan to your finished pesto.
The recipe can be modified by adding other herbs or their stalks according to your taste. You can also go vegan by leaving out the parmesan and reducing the amount of oil used in the recipe.
