A guide on how to grind whole coriander seeds to make your own coriander powder at home.

Coriander powder is an essential curry powder in cooking curries, especially in Sri Lankan and Indian cooking.

From my grandmother’s slow-cooked beef curry to making a basic Sri Lankan thuna paha curry powder to garam masala, coriander powder is a key ingredient.

What are coriander seeds.

We all know the herb cilantro or coriander plant.

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

Coriander or coriander seeds are from this coriander plant.

The flowers of the plant, produce these spice seeds in large quantities.

Coriander seeds or coriander leaves.

Though coriander seeds and coriander leaves are produced from the same plant, their flavour profiles and uses are completely different.

• Coriander leaves

Coriander leaves are also referred to as cilantro leaves.

The most important thing you need to remember is, that coriander leaves(cilantro)are used as a,

1. garnish
2. Blended into a marinade
3. Making pestos.
4. Or added at the last minute of cooking curries to add a subtle peppery flavour to them.

• Coriander powder

Coriander powder is the result of roasting and grinding the coriander seeds into coarse or fine powder.

Coriander powder is mainly used in,

1. Cooking curries
2. soups
3. Makin dry rubs and marinades.
4. For grilling and baking poultry, meat, seafood and certain vegetables. 

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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.

• Promotes heart, healthy hair and skin.

Cumin Vs coriander, Is there really a difference?

Cumin and coriander powder has two very different flavours as well as fragrances.

These two spice powders can be used separately as well as together but never works as a substitute for each other.

While coriander powder has sweeter and peppery tones and a distinct fragrance, cumin powder is a much stronger spice powder.

When used incorrectly, cumin can overwhelm the coriander taste, so using them together needs to be done with great care.

To compliment not to overwhelm.

 Substitute for coriander powder

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

As mentioned above,

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

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

If you STILL want to substitute coriander powder with cumin(not recommended) then use ONLY 1/2 teaspoon of cumin when instructions say 1 tablespoon of coriander powder.

But there definitely will be a difference in taste. you have been warned.

Frequently asked questions: coriander powder

• What is the spice powder ratio to follow when using coriander powder and cumin powder together?
  • The ratio would be 1:2
  • For every 1 spoon(tablespoon or teaspoon)of cumin powder use 2 spoons of coriander(tablespoon or teaspoon).
  • You can actually add an extra spoon of coriander sometimes to thicken a curry as well. you’ll still taste the cumin due to its pungency.

• What other curry powders use coriander in them?
  • Sri Lankan Jaffna curry powder, basic curry powder, and garam masala are some of the curry powders that have coriander powder.

• Why you should dry roast the coriander seeds first?
  • If you are making your own spice blend or grinding individual spices, keep in mind, that 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 flavour.
  • Removing any type of moisture also helps the spice with longer shelf life.

• What spices will complement ground coriander?
  • Cumin powder, fennel seeds, pepper, allspice, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, curry powders(for more depth and strength), ginger, and garlic.

• What are the vegetables that will complement ground coriander?
  • beans, carrots, chickpeas, potatoes, and tomatoes.

• Name a few cuisines from the world that use ground coriander.

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

Utensils and appliances needed.

large sieve to help wash the coriander seeds.

A medium-sized bowl.

Platter.

Some paper kitchen towels.

Spice grinder or a coffee grinder.

Microwave-friendly plate(if you are using the microwave to dry the seeds)

Useful information on grinding, storage and use of coriander.

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

• I would suggest 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.

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

• Store your jar of coriander in a moisture-free environment. 

• Use a dry, glass bottle(mason jar)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.

Recipes with coriander powder.

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.

Black pepper beef curry(Sri Lankan)

Sri Lankan chicken meatball curry

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

how to grind coriander seeds

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make coriander powder at home.

2 cups of coriander seeds

Method.

There are 3 steps to making coriander seed powder.

• Washing the coriander seeds.
• Drying the coriander seeds.
• Dry roasting the seeds.
• Grinding the coriander seeds.
• Storing the seeds for longer shelf life.

Despite the coriander seeds being packed in air-tight packages, I would recommend washing as dirt particles might end up before packaging.

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.

This would take 30 to 45 minutes.

How to dry the coriander seeds(2 Ways).

• Drying the coriander seeds under the sun(the old-fashioned 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 and traffic fumes dust can’t get to the coriander seeds.
  • Find a spot in your home where the sun shines and place the platter with the coriander seeds to dry.
  • This can take 2 or 3 days.
  • This probably is not possible for most of you so the below options would be best.

• How to dry the coriander seeds using the microwave.
  • This is the quickest way to dry the coriander seeds.
  • Place the coriander seeds on a microwave-friendly plate or platter.

Microwave the coriander seeds in 30 seconds intervals for 2 minutes which will completely dry the coriander seeds.

How to dry roast the coriander seeds.

Once you have the coriander seeds dry.

Set a frying pan over low-medium heat. heat the pan for 2 minutes.

Add the coriander seeds onto the hot pan and gently dry roast the seeds while continuously moving them around.

Dry roast for 3-5 minutes or until the coriander releases its aroma.

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.

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.

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