What to do with coriander seeds?

[AlexR]

Someone gave me a jar of these, saying she didn't like the taste.

I like coriander OK, but am unsure what to use it in, and wondering if I need to grind it.

Is this spice mainly for Aisian or Latin American cuisine?

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Yakuta]

Yes corrainder seeds is used widely in Southwestern, Latin, Indian and other Southeast Asian cuisines.

It has a very pungent flavor which either you love or hate. I don't think there is an inbetween. I love it and I cannot imagine cooking the food I do without it.

I would suggest that you lightly toast it in a dry skillet over low heat and once you get a toasted aroma you can powder it. I don't think it lasts more than a month once it's ground (if you are looking for full flavor). It goes well in following type of dishes.

Chilli
Curries
Satay's
Marinades of lamb, chicken or other meats
Salmon (you can make a crust on it with crushed corrainder seeds, kosher salt, black pepper and some paprika and pan fry it)

 

[jkath]

Corriander is really common in a lot of Norweigan dishes, especially seafood and desserts! It is so sweet and tasty!

Try googling recipes for Norweigan Krumkake. It's little cone shaped lacy goodies, and corriander is a typical spice in it.

 

[Sandyj]

My mom always adds a little bit of coriander to any lamb or beef stew that she makes.

 

[Haggis]

Coriander seeds add (I feel) a nice warming, earthy sweetness to dishes.

Try this recipe which really demonstrates the flavour of the coriander seeds in a very straightforward and refreshing way.

Belarussian Carrot Salad
------------------------
450g (1 pound) carrots, peeled and grated
2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and crushed lightly
30ml neutral flavoured oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
cayenne pepper

Marinade:
30ml cider vinegar, or to taste (I like my with a little more, go by the sweetness of the carrots)
1 tsp salt

Place carrot in a bowl, pour over the marinade and mix so everything is well coated. Cover, set aside for at least 3 hours, or preferably, overnight. If the carrots are very fresh, they develop too much juice, which should be poured away.
Heat the oil a in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry until golden. Allow to cool a little, then drain the oil through a sieve on to the carrots and discard the onion. Now add the coriander seeds to the carrots, along with the garlic and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Give a good stir before serving.
Covered, this salad will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Throw a bit of coriander and cummin into the slow cooker with some salted chuck or sirloin tri-tip roast. Add a bit of water and cook all day on low. Then, when all is cooked until supremely tender, pull the meat apart with forks to create shredded beef for tacos, enchiladas, buritoes, etc. This with cheddar cheese makes my DW's favorite tacos.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[ironchef]

In a saute pan, toast equal parts coriander and fennel seed. Using a coffee bean grinder or mortal and pestle, crush seeds until semi-fine (roughly the texture of fresh cracked pepper).

Use this to crust scallops or fish fillets/steaks before pan searing.

 

[Haggis]

What Ironchef suggests sounds like it would also go fantastic rubbed over some pork fillet before being roasted in the oven.

 

[jkath]

Daisy, the corriander butterscotch sounds perfect! I think I'll make some, using my meyer lemons!

 

[Chopstix]

Here's a nice variation of Salade Nicoise--

Replace canned tuna flakes with slab of sashimi-grade tuna:

Roughly-grind the coriander seeds and mix with roughly-ground black pepper. Coat tuna slab all over rub. Pan-sear in olive oil all sides, leave center red-pink. Serve with vinaigrette on top of usual salad mix.

For attractive presentation: Place torn greens in center and arrange each colorful set of ingredients around the sides. Place tuna slab in center on top of greens. Serve vinaigrette dressing on the side. Your guests will be impressed...