Coriander (Dhaniya – धनिया)

December 12, 2018 0 By Iqbal Kaur
coriander seeds
Coriander Seeds, Dhaniya Powder

Coriander or dhaniya or cilantro or Chinese parsley, is an annual herb. It is a most popular and important spice in the Indian kitchen. All parts of the plant are safe to eat, but the dried seeds and the fresh leaves are the mostly used in cooking. Dried seeds of the cilantro plant are called Coriander. It is used in cuisines all over the world. In India, it is grown in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Rajasthan is the biggest producer of coriander in India.

Coriander seeds and cilantro leaves come from the same plant but their flavors and aromas are completely different from each other. Coriander seeds are used as a whole or in a powder form in the cuisines.

Coriander seeds and cilantro leaves come from the same plant but their flavors and aromas are completely different from each other. Coriander seeds are used as a whole or in a powder form in the cuisines.

Coriander seeds are small, round and yellowish-brown in color. They have citrus and a bit of spicy flavor. It is the oldest herb or spice and easily available all over the world. Most of the people love the taste and aromas of coriander but some people don’t like its taste at all.


Benefits of Coriander

Apart from being a popular spice, coriander seeds or dhaniya also has a lot medicinal properties. In Ayurveda, it is frequently suggested for stomach related problems because it is known for digestion same like carom seeds. Following are some health benefits attached to coriander seeds:-

  1. Prevent and Treat Diabetes: It helps in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and lowers the blood glucose.
  2. Treats Cholesterol: Drinking Coriander seeds water daily reduces the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood.
  3. Skin Diseases: Due to coriander seeds antiseptic properties, it also helps in curing some skin diseases like rashes, itchy skin,eczema and inflammation. It also gives soothing effect to smallpox areas. It also heals sores and mouth ulcers.
  4. Hair Loss: Coriander seeds also prevent more hair loss because of hormonal imbalances, stress, poor diet and helps stimulate the hair roots for the development of new hair.
  5. Helps in Healthy Digestion: Coriander seeds (dhaniya) and leaves (Cilantro) also help in healthy digestion. It has anti-oxidant properties and dietary fiber that is useful for the healthy working of liver and eases bowel movements. It also has the anti-bacterial properties which help to treat diarrhea.
  6. Treating Eye Problems: due to its anti-oxidant properties, washing eyes with Coriander water (boiled and cooled down to room temperature) helps in treating conjunctivitis (red eyes)and other eye problems.
  7. Treat Arthritis: Coriander seeds also treat joint pain and swelling due to arthritis and rheumatism.
  8. Cures Anemia: Anemia is generally caused by shortage of iron content in the blood and coriander seeds have the high iron content, thus they are very helpful in treating anemia.


Side Effects of Coriander seeds (Dhaniya)

Coriander seeds (dhaniya) is completely safe to have in food or taken by mouth in apt medicative amounts. Still, the excess use of coriander seeds can cause some below side effects:-

  1. Gastrointestinal problems: for example diarrhea, dehydration, stomachache and loss of appetite.
  2. Diabetes: Coriander lower the blood sugar level so diabetic people should monitor the blood sugar level closely.
  3. Low blood pressure: People with low  blood pressure and if taking medications to lower the blood pressure,should use coriander carefully as it might decrease blood pressure. You should stop taking coriander seeds before 2-3 weeks if you have scheduled surgery so that your surgery date won’t delay due to low blood pressure.
  4. Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Excessive intake of coriander seeds may cause infertility and loss of libido. Avoid use of coriander, if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
  5. Other side effect of coriander seeds that you may experience are breathing problems, liver problems, allergic reactions, toothaches, nausea,hernia.

As long as you don’t excess consume, coriander seeds or dhaniya is completely safe to use.


Coriander Seeds (Dhaniya) as Indian Spice

Coriander seeds (dhaniya) or coriander powder is used as a spice in Indian cooking/kitchen. It is the most regularly used spice in Indian cuisine. It is very common to use in tadka/tempering of all the dals and vegetables.