Coriander leaves may be puny little wisps occupying a corner of the kitchen basket and yet, their absence or substitution with something else takes the life out of the dish.

A member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, coriander leaves or parsley makes all the difference to the preparation.  Coriander leaves are said to meet the daily vitamin C requirements well. They are also a good antidote for garlic breath. They are also known to be effective in treating problems such as indigestion, cough and cold etc.  Here are some coriander-based dishes to try:

Coriander–dates chutney
Ingredients: Coriander leaves (cut and washed) - 1 cup; Deseeded Dates – ½ cup; Roasted Red Chillies – 1 or 2; Tamarind – 1 lemon sized lump; Salt to taste

For seasoning: Ghee – 1 teaspoon; Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon; Curry leaves – 1 small sprig

Method: Soak the dates and tamarind in hot water for 15  minutes. Adding just enough water, grind together soaked dates, tamarind and roasted red chillies to a fine paste. Mix salt. Heat ghee, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the seasoning to the paste. Serve with rice or puris.

Coriander–lime paste
This could be used as a pickle or had mixed with rice as in puliyogare

Ingredients: Coriander leaves (cut and cleaned) – 1 cup; Green chillies – 2; Lime – ½; Hing  - a pinch; Salt to taste

Method – Grind together the leaves and green chillies to a fine paste. Add salt and hing. Add lime juice and mix well. Store in a tight capped bottle in the fridge.

Spicy green radishes
Ingredients: Tender radishes (peeled and cleaned) – 3 or 4; Coriander leaves (cut and cleaned) – ½ cup; Green chillies – 1 or 2; Hing – ¼ teaspoon; Salt to taste, Oil for shallow frying

Method: Slice the radishes lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices.  Grind the leaves and chillies into a thick paste. Add hing and salt. Smear the paste on the radish slices and keep aside for half an hour to marinate. Shallow fry on both sides. Serve as a side dish.