VIBGYOR Series - 'G' for 'Green' - The Coriander plant

This post is part of the Chennai Bloggers Club's CBC VIBGYOR BLOG TAG where some
of us will write a post on the colours of VIBGYOR each day starting 1st of September to 
the 7th of September. The colour theme for today's post is GREEN

Whenever I come across the word 'Green' , I could only imagine about our beautiful mother Nature. The greeny environment just comes in a flash before me. But today I'm not sure how much greeny is our surroundings. In between the years there was a gradual decline in the number of trees in our environment and also the habit having gardens in houses had faced a decline. But in just the past two years the situation has improved inch by inch by many nature enthusiasts and by some of the organisations and I wish it continues to improve more. Since I have already posted about the awareness on tree plantation, importance of trees in the Universe and Kitchen gardening in this blog, here I would like to share about a plant that I like personally and which takes part in our daily cooking. It is none other than Coriander.

Coriander is an annual herb which comes under the family Apiaceae. Its botanical name is Coriandrum sativum and it is known as one of the world's oldest spice which is said to be originated back to 5000 B.C. It is native to South Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is also called as Cilantro (Spanish word) or Chinese parsley. In India, it is called as 'dhania' in Hindi language. The coriander plants are generally soft plants and they are 50 cm tall. Since it is a tropical crop, they prefer a frost-free climate during flowering and the formation of seeds. All parts of the plant are edible. The seeds and leaves are used as common flavoring agents in cooking.

Coriander comes not only under a herb, but also under the spice category. The coriander leaves goes under the herb category whereas the coriander seeds goes under the spice category. The leaf portion is often referred to as cilantro and seeds were said to be referred as coriander in some countries. But the entire plant is called as 'Coriander'.

Cultivation of coriander plant :

                  In India, Coriander plant is cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. They are generally cultivated in loamy(clay and sand with humus) soils since they are not tolerant to alkaline and saline soils. It is an irrigated crop.

Nutritive value : Carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamin A and vitamin C, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, folic-acid, beta carotene,

Medicinal values and health benefits :

                ~* It is considered to be a potential medicine for anxiety and insomnia.
                ~* It lowers blood sugar levels.
                ~* It is said it helps in cleansing the kidneys.
                ~* This plant is a great source of fiber, iron and magnesium.
                ~* The mixture of coriander juice and turmeric is said to be used as a toner for skin and it is used in the treatment of acne (a skin condition marked with red pimples).
                ~* Both the coriander leaves and seeds is said to contain antioxidants which avoids spoilage of foods.
                ~* It is said that they possess anti-inflammatory property.
                ~* It is used to treat type 2 diabetics as per some research done with mice.
                ~* Coriander leaves provides relief for indigestion problems.
                ~* It is said that these coriander leaves helps to reduce nausea and it is also used to promote healthy liver function.
                ~* Coriander is said to have pain relieving properties which helps in reducing headache, muscle pain and arthritis.

Coriander chutney for sandwich/ salads / side-dishes :

                 Grind 1 cup of coriander leaves along with 2 or 3 green chillies, 1/2 inch of ginger and add salt of your taste. Then add 1 or 2 tsp of lime juice to it(optional).  Finally fry some mustard and cumin seeds in oil separately and add it to the chutney if you serve it as a side-dish. In case of sandwich you can avoid it. This chutney would be awesome with sandwiches.

Images Source : Internet 

Apart from chutney, there is lot of dished that can be done with coriander's such as coriander rice, coriander

Coriander can be easily grown in your kitchen garden . Make use of this wonderful herb that God has gifted us :)