Coriander - Really Required ?

Coriander – Really Required ?.

Dinesh K Kapila

My friend Nalin has commented on the price of the herb - Coriander (dhania), is reaching Rs 200/- a kg. The view is why are we focused on only the prices of potatoes and onions, coriander also counts. My sympathies with Nalin and the poor people who live off it but is the coriander really required. I say ban the coriander, for a number of reasons or atleast just ignore this strongly flavoured herb. There are a any number of reasons to ban it, the most important, now a days most cooks, whether at home or restaurants,  do not know how to use it, this herb is for use as a garnish, just sprinkle on a few before serving if you want. Also decide if the dish really requires the touch of coriander, to enhance its presentation or to enhance its flavour. This aspect is seldom considered by the cooks now. Instead they will cook and stew it along with the vegetables and just take away the flavour of the dish. I refrain from ordering omelettes at hotels for breakfast as the damn chef will add a fistful of coriander in the eggs, it needs to be labelled coriander omelette actually in most hotel restaurants India. The breads - stuffed paranthas, are also reduced to a mish mash of coriander and the vegetable. We forget the delicate play of taste and texture and the need to allow the actual flavour of the vegetable to come through the bread, what you get is strongly coriandarised paranthas. I shudder when invited to a meal at a house, most ladies now feel obliged to dunk and dip and drown the meat or chicken or the dal in coriander, its all over the dish, in every spoon and at the top, the sides, the middle and at the bottom of the dish. The delicate flavour of the dal is at times totally lost and this fact does not  even register on the host. If you were to point it out, you are rewarded with a pained or mystified expression, it says actually are you from this planet. Biryanis are increasingly destroyed by a liberal use of this annoyingly flavoursome herb and horrors, I find it used liberally even in some dishes from other parts of the world, where its not even thought off as an ingredient. The limit was finding a pie and a dish of noodles with coriander all over at an obviously high profile and understood to be expensive dinner, I just dumped the dishes. The humble yoghurt or flavoured curd has also been not been spared and is attacked mercilessly, the raita will have the flavour of liberally used coriander overpowering all other flavours. The delicate play of flavours of our chaats is at times totally lost by the coriander, now I first glance at the preparations before ordering it.  The concept of plucking the leaves and sprinkling it has also been foregone, its the complete lot, stem and all, it comes into your mouth as a bite than as a garnish. Frankly speaking, I never could stand food being ill prepared or ill served, Nalin’s post on coriander has just set off this train of thoughts. I also find at bars now a days fried peanuts served with coriander, how can you have a nice smooth drink with corianderised peanuts, atleast leave the salted peanuts alone. This my friends is not a delicate herb, the coriander has a strong flavour, almost aggressive and pesky like the pakistani soldiers, it tends to affect all its added to. What started out as a garnish has by default and imitation become a menace in the food world now in India. If it has to be used it must be emphasised at food shows, restaurants and homes that its a strong flavour and to be used as a sprinkle, lightly, just as lightly as the dew falls in winter. You do not feel the dew, yet suddenly its there, that's how it has to be with the coriander in food. In North India we have forgotten this specially. Till we learn this it better be stowed away and if priced high, the better it is. Yes the chutney will be less in quantity, maybe try mint chutneys as an alternative. But if its priced high, out with it. Its really no harm done or anybody’s loss. Lastly, its not a vital ingredient, so nutritionsists would not mourn its passing. Out with it.