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The other day, I was preparing Dal Tadka and everything was going on fine until in my cooking rhythm, I opened the refrigerator and found to my utter dismay that the coriander box was empty. I was utterly disappointed. It was beyond my imagination to serve the Dal without the green velvety leaves of coriander sprinkled on it. The yellow dal tadka with its red chillies should and should be complemented with the green of the coriander leaves and then and then only the Dal looks fully cooked and inviting. This is not just a myth with which I have lived but for me it is a basic fact of life. The dal was served (without Coriander) as it was night-time and nobody would have run to the market for my (as they say) coriander. The rest of my family members are not so much in love with it. And certainly not, when they are asked to sacrifice their valuable cosy place before the television and go out and fetch the exhausted coriander storage. Then, in these circumstances whatever little love they have for the aromatic green foliage with vitamin C goes for a toss. (evaporates)
In these days of lockdown, there were many sorrowful occasions, when I had to be separated from the loved soft leaflets of coriander, the indispensable topping of all dishes. Though not very good with paint and brush, I remember to have tried to draw a bunch of coriander. So much I am attached to this –should I say Veggie. It’s not proper veggie, but we never forget to tell the vegetable vendor to add coriander at the end of our vegetable buying. It is observed that it is the women-folk who are more in fascination of the verdant coriander leaves because if a man goes for buying vegetables; most of the times he forgets to perfect his vegetable buying endeavour by forgetting to buy the most important part of vegetable buying-the coriander leaves. Then, back home, when his efforts in the vegetable market are assessed and accredited, he is shocked to hear that all the lovely fresh vegetables and fruits he has brought with so much care are put aside and not considered for the accreditation process and only a search for the forgotten coriander is done and the judgement is pronounced with the statement, ‘OH! You have been going to the market for so many years, but why do you always forget the coriander leaves? ‘And the husband is so dismayed that all his journey into the mayhem called the ‘The Indian Vegetable market’ and spending valuable two hours negotiating and avoiding the dirt and squalor has resulted in this. He had wanted to share with his better-half — how he had triumphantly haggled with the vegetable vendors to save some money but all this enthusiasm is only met with cold stares as he has done the biggest crime of forgetting the crowning glory of vegetables called the ‘Coriander leaves.’
In winter, the vegetable vendors are very magnanimous and if you are a regular customer then they also give you complementary provision of Coriander leaves. But in summer, the price and value of these green leaves rocket high like silver and gold and then the vegetable vendors give you miserly one or two sprigs at the same price. In winter, therefore we are blessed to use it not only as dish topping but also can prepare mouth –watering Sambhar wadi with sambhar its Hindi name or Kothimbir wadi with its Marathi nomenclature. Of course the Puneri Kothimbir wadi and the Warhadi Sambhar wadi are two different recipes. I came to know when my sister shifted to Pune for her job. At that time one of her Puneri friends introduced the kothimbir wadi to her. But I swear, I love both the variants.
Sometimes it so happens on an unfortunate day, the vegetable vendor tells you that his day’s stock of coriander has exhausted and he cannot provide you the coriander leaves. It is very sad to hear this from him and his apologetic face is true testimony to it. Sometimes on a fortunate day, he greets you and says that he has a very good stock of real, fresh coriander and you are ready to bless him with all your heart.
The coriander leaves have to be taken care of, if you want that they should remain fresh. You have to separate the stalk from the leaves and store them in a dry air-tight container to increase its shelf-life. The tender green stalks can be used to make green chutneys to add spice to your meals. No recipe video is complete without the chef telling you to garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve it with green coriander chutney. Personally, I feel no kitchen is complete unless it’s refrigerator is stocked with a box of coriander leaves. In these days of Corona Pandemic, where we have to wash all the vegetables with salt water and dry them and then store them in the refrigerator, the risk of damaging this prized possession is manifold.
Then my mother who is an innovative kitchen farmer in her small field of the kitchen balcony suggested that I can grow some coriander leaves by crushing coriander seeds and sowing them. I followed her advice and I was delighted to see an emergent shoot of aromatic coriander grow into a bouquet. This was my emergency back-up facility for the lockdown. As I put the home –grown leaves in my hand and then smelt its fragrance, I was overjoyed. The aroma of these leaves was even sweeter and the fragrance did not leave my hand even after I had decorated my dhokla with the leaves in my hand.
I conclude with a pithy statement, ‘Coriander is to a dish, what humour is to life’
Are you also a lover of coriander leaves like me? Then share your love here in the discussion box below.
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This is a kitchen sink blog.
Thanks for giving such a specific category in arts and literature to our blog. “Kitchen Sink School” was a term used by critic David Sylvester to describe painters who depicted social realist–type scenes of domestic life.
There is kitchen sink drama too. In fact any issue which depicts social realism can be called kitchen sink. Article topics are taken from life and domestic life is one part of life so naturally it reflects in your writing. John Osborne’s play Look back in anger was a pioneer in this movement.
We would continue to mirror social realism on the blog.
ma’am…a wonderfully written article I have a different opinion on it ‘we have a image a fixed structure of perfection, of completeness like coriander leaves on top of every dish, likewise we have made a structure to look at some person, oh he is meritorious, rankholder, a genius, a kind-hearted helpful. but not earning XYZ amount then his life is without the coriander, i.e worthless yes coriander her is a small piece of happiness but it should not be fix to a particular thing like coriander leaves in dish and money or any particular thing in life…one must learn to… Read more »
Good review. I liked it
Fantastic read…..
Thank you so much Ashwin.
Yes, Corianders are A Must.
Thank you madam
I like coriander very much.
Same to you Ashwini
Wonderful written article
Thank you sir
A wonderfully penned version of the inevitability of the delicate and delicious coriander leaves.
Ur art of imparting so much beauty and importance to dimple things…is really appreciated.
Simple…
Thank you so much madam
Would definitely rate coriander as a kitchen king.
Coriander is always taken for granted ingredient but one realises it’s value in its absence.
Anyone living out of India would agree that Coriander comes at a premium.
Thanks Suruchi . I agree with you.
Wow..never thought about coriander leaves like this! You always amaze the readers with unthinkable subjects to ponder on.
Thank you Shraddha
Absolutely relatable. But then there are many I know that cannot stand coriander. Each one to themselves!
Very true world is interesting mix of people.
Great write up mam. It’s not important to all as we see it. As you mention in write up without coriander dal tadka was incomplete for you. But for your family it was perfect. So everyone has their own point of view. But still you want to make dal tadka perfect because you think it was incomplete. So you put efforts for what you think not what others think.
Loved it. A passion is a passion.
Nice narration. Coriander leaves are only one aspect of Indian cuisine. You must complement it with coconut. Please cook an essay and serve it to us hungry readers.