Coriander
Where can you grow coriander?
Coriander can be grown anywhere. In pots (both indoors and on balconies), in pallet collars, outdoors or anywhere where the sun can reach it. The soil should be airy and nutrient-rich and the location sunny or semi-shaded. If you are growing indoors during winter, plant lighting is needed to prevent the coriander from crowning. The roots like deep pots.
Coriander thrives alongside spinach, beans and peas; avoid growing alongside fennel.
Sowing coriander
If you’re sowing outdoors, you can start as soon as the soil settles. Water first, then sow shallowly (0.5 cm) and about 30 cm apart. Keep the seed moist during the germination period. If you sow in batches a couple of weeks apart, you will get a harvest throughout the summer. It is also possible to sow coriander broadly. In this case, thin out when the plants start to emerge.
Pre-cultivate coriander if you want an earlier harvest. Sow in a tray, but 10 cm apart. Keep the seed moist and leave it in a warm place first and then in a light and cool place when the plants have emerged. Plant out when the risk of frost is over.
Coriander doesn’t require much care, but don’t let the plants dry out, or they may flower prematurely. It also doesn’t hurt to water with fertiliser a few times during the season. Coriander that thrives seeds itself after it has flowered. So, if you’re lucky, you’ll have a steady flow of coriander in the years to come.
Harvesting coriander
As soon as the plant is viable, you can start harvesting the leaves. Harvest from the top, so the plant does not flower as quickly. Harvest gently at first and then more as the plant grows. If you sowed in batches, you can harvest throughout the summer. If the plant starts to turn yellow, it’s time to harvest it completely. Then pull up the root, as it can also be used in cooking. The root is used a lot in Thai cuisine.
You can also leave a number of plants to flower. Some so that they can self-sow and some from which you harvest seeds. Harvest seeds by cutting off crowns and hanging them upside down in a dry place. Then pick them off when they’ve dried and store them in a jar.
Coriander leaves, and stems, can be dried, but then lose a lot of flavour. It works better to freeze the leaves. Another variation is to make a ready-made paste, with ginger, garlic and a little oil. Mix, freeze in pucks and use as a base in Indian dishes.
Eating coriander
There are literally thousands of uses for coriander. The stems are a staple ingredient in many Indian dishes and the leaves are widely used in many Asian and Latin American cuisines.
One of our great favourites is nems, fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. We make them right at the table, soaking rice paper in lukewarm water and then filling them. You can put anything in them: chicken, prawns, rice noodles, spring onions, cucumber, avocado – whatever you have at home! The important thing is that there is plenty of coriander, both in the dressing and for topping.
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2022-10-14