Spice Club – Coriander

by | May 27, 2022 | Programming

Graphic showing spices

Have a fridge full of leftovers? Put them to use in Koua Khau, a Laotian fried rice recipe that features this month’s spice, coriander! Coriander has a wide range, growing all the way from Southern Europe, to Northern Africa and Southwestern Asia. While all parts of the plant is edible, the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used elements.   

Laotian cuisine is simple, fresh, colourful and has a medium spice level. Rice, as incorporated into this meal, is the most commonly consumed food in Laos and is served with almost every meal. Although Laotian cuisine does have French influences, in most places the food is strongly Asian.

Don’t like the look of this recipe? Get creative! We’d love to see what you come up with instead! Be sure to join us for our Zoom session on Wednesday, June 22 where we discuss what you made with coriander! Show off what you make each month by sharing photos on the Huron County Library Spice Club Facebook events page or by emailing them to askalibrarian@huroncounty.ca. Photos emailed will be publicly shared by staff to the Facebook page on your behalf.

FUN FACT: Seventy-five per cent of people find that coriander has a tart lemon/lime taste, while the remaining 25 per cent find that it tastes like dish soap due to a gene that detects some specific aldehydes. 

Koua Khau*

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
  •  1/2 cup cooked pork or shrimp, chopped 
  •  2 tbsp oil
  •  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  •  2 eggs
  •  1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
  • 1 cup tomatoes, chopped 
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Scramble eggs in a small bowl.
  2. Add the oil to a large pan. Warm oil over medium heat and sauté garlic.
  3. Add egg mixture to the garlic in the frying pan and cook.
  4. Add rice, meat, soy sauce, fish sauce, tomatoes, coriander, and cayenne pepper to the pan.
  5. Cook until the rice and meat are warm.
  6. Add the cilantro and green onion. Serve.  

*Recipe from Global Road Warrior™️ by World Trade Press. Access this online database for free with a Huron County Library card to get information about holidays, festivals, culture, travel essentials, and other beneficial travel knowledge.