How to make coriander powder.

Everything you need to make your own ground coriander powder and how to use it to make your favorite curries.

If you’ve been making curries, by now you should be aware of how Coriander powder and cumin powder, a basic curry powder is a must in many curry recipes.

This is an easy step-by-step guide on,

• how to make your own coriander powder with coriander seeds.
• How to use your homemade coriander powder.
• And the benefits of coriander seeds and powder. you might find this article on the benefits of coriander seeds helpful as well.

But first, Let’s get the basic information of this spice out of the way for anyone who’s a beginner cook or just learning to make curries for the first time.

What is coriander seed and powder?

We all know the herb cilantro.

You might even recognize some different names used to identify this herb, like Chinese parsley, dhania or coriander leaves.

Well, the seeds that are produced by cilantro are what we call coriander seeds which are often ground to make special Indian and Sri Lankan curry powders and curries.

 The difference between Coriander seeds and Cilantro.

Or you might ask if coriander and cilantro are the same things.

Sometimes, as mentioned above cilantro leaves are also knows as coriander leaves in many Asian countries.

And the coriander seeds come from the herb plant(obviously, but they do have different names and uses.)

The most important thing you need to remember is,

Though cilantro and coriander seeds come from the same plant, they taste and are used in different ways.

Coriander leaves(Cilantro)are used for garnishing, blended into marinades or pestos.

The coriander seeds are grounded into powder to make the versatile spice that makes all of your curry dreams come through.

Cooking methods best suited for coriander powder.

Cooking curries, soups, dry rubs, marinades, grilling and baked goods with certain ingredients. 

Why you should dry roast the coriander seeds first?

If you are making your own spice blend or grinding individual spice, keep in mind, they need to be exposed to some kind of heat to bring the best out of them.

When gently dry roasted, the subtle oils in the coriander seeds(not visible to the eye)will make the coriander powder darker and stronger in flavor.

Removing any type of moisture also helps the spice with longer shelf life.

how to use coriander powder.

You can use coriander powder on its own but for best results in curries.

 No guessing here, cumin is the most popular spice that always accompanies coriander powder. 

For best results in curries, always make sure to use a ratio close to 1:3, where for every tablespoon of cumin powder, you use 3 tablespoons of coriander powder.

This can change, when family secret curry powder recipes are involved.

Always, you add more coriander powder than cumin powder to get the perfect balance for curries.

Benefits of using coriander powder.

• Helps to remove harmful chemicals in your body the natural way.

• Coriander powder actually helps to cool down your body.

• Helps digestion.

 Substitute for for coriander powder

If you look up for substitution for coriander powder the general advice is to use cumin powder.

If you didn’t read the notes above, please refer to the recipe notes under, “What is the best spice to use with coriander powder”

While I would agree with this, I would also like to make you aware coriander and cumin have completely different flavor profiles. 

Cumin is a much more pungent and stronger spice than coriander powder.

While you won’t usually taste coriander using it with cumin, it provides an essential base for every curry and for the cumin flavors to shine through.

If you are just using cumin as a coriander substitute, I would advise using 1/2 tablespoon of cumin if the recipe instructions say 1 tablespoon of coriander powder.

But there definitely will be a difference in taste. 

Whole spices that compliment coriander powder.

Cumin powder, fennel seeds, pepper, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, curry powders(for more depth and strength), ginger, garlic.

Best vegetables that compliment the coriander flavor.

beans, carrots, chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes.

Cuisines from the world that use the spice powder.

Indian cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine, Moroccan, southeast Asian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean are some of the prominent cuisines you will find coriander powder used.

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Utensils and appliances needed.

large sieve.

A medium-sized bowl.

Platter.

Microwave-friendly plate.

Tips on making coriander powder.

• Keep in mind the quality of the coriander goes down, this means the pungency and strength reduce with use and time. 

• The ideal quantity to make would be 100-250g of a batch depending on how much curries you cook.
  

• I would suggest making grinding Coriander powder that will last up to a month or two, it’s how long the quality of your coriander powder will remain strong.

• Store your jar of the spice powder in a moisture-free environment. 

• Use dry, glass bottle(mason jars)with a tight lid to store your coriander powder. 

• When using the spice powder, always use a dry spoon or have a spoon in the coriander powder container that is used for only this purpose.

Do most curry powders have coriander powder?

Sri Lankan Jaffna curry powder,

raw curry powder,

garam masala

are some of the curry powders that have coriander powder.

Curries with coriander powder recipes.

Sri Lankan chicken curry.

Slow-cooked beef curry(my grandmother’s recipe)

How to cook a chicken curry without coconut milk.

Sri Lankan black pepper chicken curry.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY -EASY

how to make coriander powder

Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.

Ingredients

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

2 cups of coriander seeds

Method.

How to clean coriander seeds

Place the coriander seeds in a large sieve.

Keep the sieve under running water, wash and pick out any impurities that you find.

Drain any excess water and place the sieve over a bowl to drain excess water.

Once in a while, gently shake the sieve to move the coriander seeds around to dry them.

How to dry and gently roast the coriander seeds (3 Ways).

1.Drying the coriander seeds the natural/old way.

Place the washed and semi-dry coriander seeds on a tray, place the tray under the sun to dry the coriander seeds naturally. 

If you are using the sun to dry the coriander seeds, make sure it’s somewhere clean, where bird droppings, traffic fumes dust can’t get to the coriander seeds.

This probably is not possible for most of you so the above option would be best.

2. how to dry and gently roasting the coriander seeds using the microwave.

Place the coriander seeds in a microwave-friendly plate or platter.

Microwave the coriander seeds in 30 seconds intervals for 3 minutes which will completely dry the coriander seeds.

3.How to roast the coriander seeds over a stovetop.

Set a frying pan over low-medium heat. heat the pan for 2 minutes, add the coriander seeds and gently dry roast the seeds while continuously moving them around.

Transfer the coriander seeds onto a plate and let it cool(30 minutes).

How to grind the coriander seeds to a powder..

Once the coriander seeds have cooled down, use a coffee grinder or the spice grinder unit in your blender to grind the coriander seeds to a powder.

Use the pulse button to do this.

Grind until you have a coarse powder.

 

Tip-for an easier transfer of the ground coriander powder use a funnel.

Immediately transfer the powder into an airtight, dry, clean glass jar.

Each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability with you in mind.
It’s free and on the blog, for you to try anytime.

All I ask is that you do not save it on any apps, recipe boxes or online groups which will affect me as a food blogger and the growth of this blog. I would appreciate if you only share the link rather than the full recipe. 

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