A mild, cooling seed and herb that brings the rest of the spice rack into balance.
In the pot
The seed and the leaf are the same plant but cook nothing alike. Whole or ground seed goes in with the other dry spices early in the cook. Fresh leaves go on at the end, off the heat, or they collapse.
When a curry is running too hot I add a teaspoon of ground coriander and a small handful of chopped leaves at the finish. It pulls the heat back without taking the flavour with it.
In the body
Coriander carries all six tastes in small measure, which is unusual, and it cools without dampening agni (digestive fire). It is the spice I lean on most for pitta (the fire constitution).
In summer I steep a teaspoon of coriander seeds in a jug of water overnight and drink it through the next day. It sits well rather than heavily, even in the heat.
