Leaf Coriander
Very quick to grow coriander (cilantro) is ideal for recipes like Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc
Originally from the southern Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia it has a very unique flavour.
You either love it or hate it, very often linked to your genetic & cultural basics.
Leaf coriander (or called cilantro or chinese parsley) is one of the most popular herbs in the world
Only takes about 1 to 2 months to grow and is available online – Available from Amazon
This article will cover:
- What is coriander good for
- Simple coriander recipes
- How to grow coriander at home
1. What is coriander good for.
This herb has a very distinctive lemon & lime taste which (when added to recipes or salads) provide a real flavour.
There are 3 different types, each with a distinctive use:
- Leaf coriander (this one) – used for cooking Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc.
- Seed coriander – for Indian curries, German Sausages, etc.
- Root coriander – for Thai soups, etc.
Which one you use will very much depend on what you would like to cook – whether that is as an ingredient in stir-fry or the tea (pictured)
2. Simple coriander recipes
This variety (when you grow it for its leaves) is most often used when cooking Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc. For example:
- Stir-fry cilantro rice (see video)
- Cilantro chicken with rice and spiced vegetables
- Tomato, Peppers and Coriander Salsa
There are more simple recipes further down the page
3. How to grow coriander at home
There are 2 methods you can use:
Option 1 – Using soil..
If you want to grow leaf coriander indoors from seed using soil (i.e. in a pot) then all you do is.
- Sow the seeds thinly in a pot
- Cover the seeds with 6mm sieved compost
- The seed will germinates in 7 to 14 days
- The thin the seedlings 23 to 30cm apart
Make sure you place the pot on a window sill, terrace or balcony in a sunny position, ideally with some shade during the hottest part of day.
Option 2 – Use Hydroponics
Alternatively this is an ideal herb to use in your hydroponic or aquaponic system – like the pictured kitchen hydroponic kit.
All you do is:
- Sow your seeds in rockwool planting cubes
- Make sure you keep them moist
- When they start to germinate put the cubes in your hydroponic or aquaponic system
- And then grow as above, making sure you provide light 12 hours per day.
As it will be ready to be harvested quicker than planted in soil.
Either way if you want to use the herb for it’s leaves then you will be able to use the leaves in about 3 to 4 weeks.
They will grow to about 30 to 60 cm high
Example recipes
How to Slow cook chicken curry
Easy vegetable curry recipe
Air fryer Pork Sekuwa
Spicy beef in tomato sauce
Coriander chicken stir fry
Adds a lovely flavour to recipes (but in my opinion not as good as seed coriander). Very easy to grow – but do try hydroponics or aquaponics as you will get much better yields