Kothamalli blues
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I love the smell of cilantro (or coriander a.k.a kothamalli a.k.a kothambir) and the slight sweetness that it adds to the spicy heat of the rasam. But I am driven to madness by my inability to store cilantro. In India, you get coriander from the local vegetable seller much like loose change. Sometimes it gets thrown in by the “kaaigari kaaran” to sweeten a deal where he has already padded up the price.
But here, coriander is classified as a herb. My mom would have a minor heart attack when she discovers how much I pay for the herb. Obviously like any other commodity, a direct conversion of price is unrealistic. But it is a fact that I pay no loose change either. My mother would also frown on the quantity that I am forced to buy. For the dollar that I pay, I get a obscenely (considering what I need per meal) large kattu of kothamalli.
Yes, finally I come to the object of this post. A week after it gets home, I end up discarding more than half of what I bought. I am stumped, for I am unable to store coriander and prevent it from rotting or drying up. For sometime, I tried freezing the bunch. And whenever I needed to use it, I used to “break” off small quantities and replace the rest back in the freezer. After a couple of weeks, all that will be left behind would be a bunch of stalks. Now while this does prevent the green herb from rotting, i feel that there is a more than significant drop in taste.
So what do I do? In the fact, I have managed to store fresh green chillies (or hot peppers as they call it here) and curry leaves in air tight containers and I thought that could help with the coriander as well. And this time when i went to the supermarket, I found a packet of kothamalli that came neatly packed. Needless to say I was touched like the Levis I am wearing right now. But then I came home and saw another bunch in my crisper that I had conveniently forgotten about. Confident that I was about the packed bunch, I finished the other bunch (i.e. the part that had still remained un-rotten). And one week later, when I looked into the container in the fridge, I found the packed bunch had started rotting as well.
So now, one finds himself back at square one. On one hand the love of the herb prompts spending of a dollar each time, but the events that unfold after a week do cause heartbreak. So what do I do now. HOW DO I STORE KOTHAMALLI! SOMEONE TELL ME!
ÜberDesi
Ash http://www.adashofash.com
July 29th, 2006 at 7:00 pmI know, that bunch is just too much for one person !
Regarding the rotting, I would advise that you remove the rubberband/string holding the bunch together, spread it on a newspaper and let the moisture dry for a little while. Then put it in a dabba lined with tissue paper. That’s what my mom used to do … I have to confess that I’ve never bothered to go to the trouble, although I really ought to
DesiPundit » Archives » Kothamalli blues http://www.desipundit.com/2006/07/29/kothamalli-blues/
July 29th, 2006 at 7:01 pm[...] Anantha is having difficulties storing coriander to prevent it from rotting or drying up. Any suggestions ? [...]
neha http://withinandwithout.com
July 29th, 2006 at 7:15 pmOh yes - Very tricky! I’ve found that it’s useful to clean the kothamalli fully (get rid of any sand/ mud etc.) and then wrap it in a damp paper towel (especially around the roots/ nonleafy end of stalk) and placing it in a container that is not fully airtight. (Has a few breathing holes.)Keep it in the crisper.
The other way is to just pick leaves and tender part of the stalk, leave them moist (not dry) and to then put in an airtight container - store in the crisper.
But even with these methods - it’s hard to cut down on wastage..
gvenum http://gvenum.blogspot.com
July 29th, 2006 at 8:03 pmNext time, only buy the good half of it leaving the side that will get rottenn at store and in the process saving couple of quarters. what say *wink wink*
(Need some caffine!)
dev2r http://dev2r.com/blog
July 29th, 2006 at 8:08 pmI went through the same dilemma today — to buy two bunches and avoid a trip to the desi grocery store for 3 weeks, or buy one and make a trip each week or so?
I get the best results by airing any excess moisture out, and wrapping it tightly in the plastic bag it came in. Airtight containers still contain room for it to ‘breathe’. In 2 weeks, some leaves turn yellow, but the stalk doesn’t become rotten unless there’s moisture. I just pick the non-yellow ones :).
So wrap the transparent bag tightly around it and store it in the crisper. Problem solved! (results may vary).
ken
July 29th, 2006 at 8:55 pmDon’t know about the storage bit, how about just buying potted coriander? Water and feed the potted “herb” regularly, etc. etc. don’t need to spend $$$’s in the store and on trips to the store. Here’s something to start you off.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening.....erbs.shtml
kookie http://simransandhu.spaces.msn.com/
July 29th, 2006 at 9:02 pmagree with dev2r on taking out the moisture bit …. I do the same. And store it is ziplock bag with a paper towel … I think paper towel takes in whatever moisture is left behind.
Also, if you like the smell of it and the freshness. … keep the whole bunch in a mug with some water …. it stays fresh longer ….
Vi http://www.safeaway.blogspot.com
July 29th, 2006 at 9:32 pmMy mom washes them, dries them, cuts them into stalks that she will use, and wraps them up in paper towels, put that in a zip lock bag and store it. Our fridge has the option where you can keep the vegatable bin in a different temperature than the rest of the fridge–she found out that if you lower it a nudge, it tends to stay fresh longer..but yes, she still ends up throwing some away.
Me http://imse.blogspot.com
July 29th, 2006 at 9:47 pmsame thoughts here…but a bunch comes only for 3 times….& i get a couple of bunches and throw some away….
btw where do u get kothamalli??
Me http://imse.blogspot.com
July 29th, 2006 at 9:52 pm…seri kekanam nu nenachen..adhu enna i am no superman nu pottutu superman photos lam potu irukeenga…
gawker http://curiousgawker.blogspot.com/
July 29th, 2006 at 10:17 pmVery easy. Store them between layers of paper towels. Dry them first. Saw this on food network and it works. Key is to keep them dry, which is why the paper towels, any excess moisture is soaked up. Although i dont use this method because im too lazy so i just stopped buying cilantro. But it should work for non-lazy people and for you if you are one or think you are one. They need to breathe so you cant store them in plastic. is that what its called in tamil .. kothamalli? funny, its called kothimbir in marathi. Just proves that we all came from the same egg.
gawker http://curiousgawker.blogspot.com/
July 29th, 2006 at 10:21 pmOk i forgot to tell you they still need to be stored in the fridge.
Anand http://mdeii.blogspot.com
July 29th, 2006 at 10:41 pmBuy the ones that come with the pot and soil! And water it!
Shobha http://shobha.livejournal.com
July 30th, 2006 at 1:58 amMake coriander chutney. (Assuming you like it, that is). I dump a dollop into whatever I’m cooking when I’m short of fresh coriander, and otherwise I use it as a spread for sandwiches…
Lalita
July 30th, 2006 at 2:01 amYou can get perforated containers, not just a few breathing holes but somewhat like a colander with a lid. If you dry the bunches on paper towels and store them in such a container, coriander stays fresh for longer periods.
WA
July 30th, 2006 at 2:43 amAda rama, how come you’ve started discussing important issues like this.
WA
July 30th, 2006 at 2:45 amPS: Maybe if you buy nice green ones it might last longer, unga oor pakkam do you only get blue ones?
Minal http://grangergab.blogspot.com
July 30th, 2006 at 8:04 amHey Anatha,
Clean the entire bunch and just store the part of stem which has the leaves. avoid keeping it in the freezer. Normal refrigeration would do:-)
But you are still going to get some wastage. I wish even here in Dubai we got small bundles for lesser amount as we did in India. Boy I miss that!
VC http://poop-v2.blogspot.com
July 30th, 2006 at 12:08 pmMaybe it is those stems of the kattu that are in constant contact with the floor of the crisper that rot first - the ‘bottom’ stems not being allowed to breathe and all that jazz. Try storing it so that the same stems don’t get to be on top all the time. And, yes. This principle can be applied to a few other ….oh, never mind!!!
sumeet
July 30th, 2006 at 12:08 pmBelieve me i had the same problem many a times and i guess i still do. How much would a single person eat. I not only used to put it in sambar but also “HEAVILY” garnish everything so i dont waist it. Use as much as you can seems to be a reasonable soulution to your problem. Else If someone has come up with a better solution that i havent read in the comment section
Rads
July 30th, 2006 at 2:58 pmThis is what I do. After I buy a few bunches, i chop off the bottom stem bit so that I am retaining only the leafy part you need anyways. Wash that thoroughly, let it dry a bit (not completely). Wrap it in a moist hand towel (kitchen towel). Make sure everyday that roll of hand towel is still damp.
Since its cloth, its porous and lets the leaves breathe and stay fresh. Water, moisture my friend is the key, air tight containers are a big no no. If you recall, even in india, the coriander sellers are forever dousing the leaves with water coz thats how they stay fresh..
Its worked for me so far and I can get it for at least a week.
All da best!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
July 30th, 2006 at 3:15 pmRads: Wet Hand towel huh? Hmmm.. Will incorporate that into the process description. And oh, I don’t have any problems storing them for a week. But I get to cook only 3 times a week at the maximum and the roomie is a proponent of the utilitarion “cos I have to” cooking as opposed to the “cooking as a hobby” theme that I swear by. So if the coriander has to be used anymore than it is now, I’d have to give him a a refresher course on the fragrant properties of herbs such as cilantro. And besides he hates it when I hover around the kitchen when he does his thing. So ultimately the cilantro is much more than I need and so I need to store it for much longer periods of time.
Sumeet: That’s just what i am doing, using whatever i can. But sometimes you open the fridge hoping to find it, but then u see that the only stuff that is left is the rotten ones. That’s when the despair strikes.
VC: I figured that part out, that the ones in the bottom are the ones that rot. As for the analogy that you started out later and did not complete, yes, never mind :p
Minal: Cut off the lower part of the stems, huh? Will add that to the list that I see here. Thank you
How’s Dubai treating you. You should write more on cricket. I have you on my bloglines for quite sometime now.
WA: Nakkal-u? Yekkow, this all too machi!
Lalita: Or punch in a few holes in the caps of the Bru bottles i have saved in the past few months? That should work too, no?
Shobha: I use coriander chutney when I make rajma or chole, to give that taste to the gravy. To the rasam, coriander is mainly to garnish, or so we understand. So I can’t use the paste for it. I do have something that was labelled coriander powder, but i sometimes think that if i replace that with fine sand, I still wouldnt feel the difference. It actually seems tasteless.
Anand: Enga aatha mottai maadi mela soakka roja poo valakkudhaam. Aapale enkitte idhe advice dhaan kuthuchi, aana prraablem aayichi pa. Vootande verandah seri-a illa ba. So kareeta chedi valakka mudiyadhu.
Gawker: Hmmm paper towels. I ran out of those yesterday. But I shall try this one out. It seems to be the most popular method. And yes, the fact that the names are similar proves the old adage that all Indians are brothers and sisters, which gives one a good excuse to ogle at blond women. Sadly though, our mom frowns upon that! And yes, we were in cognizance about the fridge part.
Me: I get Kothamalli from the neighborhood Subji Mandi! And btw, that is no Superman. Arinjiko, purinjiko, pesadha!
Vi: All this seems to be too much work, but I shall look into this issue with due diligence! And I shall look at my fridge settings as well, but being an “rental-provided” fridge, am not sure about options.
kookie: In water huh? So then, I have to keep it somewhere where clumsy old me cannot knock it on to the floor. But again, I think you don’t know how big this bunch it. I would probably need a bucket or a janitor’s pail do to this!
Ken: Good idea. Except that I don’t have a place to keep the plant. With the extremes in weather that NJ goes through, and the the nature of the apartment I live in, growing plants will be a pain!
Dev: Too much patience you have! As for containers still having air in them, I think these tupperware things are designed to let all the air out when you close them. And your disclaimer is very effective, cos except for the airing it out, I follow everything you said, already :p
Gvenum: And to think I thought this post was PJ safe! :p
Neha: You covered every single bit before anyone else
Thank you. Will follow all that, combined with one peice from Ash’s advice as well. But I do have one question. I thought the stalks do add to the fragrance and smell, so wouldn’t picking the leafs only waste that part? When I meant cutting off the stalks, I did not mean completely, but I thought I’d leave like 4 or 5 inches. Hmmm…
Ash: First of all, thanks for the mention
Ultimately, from what I have read here already, I think I am due for a process change. I just get stuff from the store and throw it into the fridge where ever I have space. So you guys just added a few more minutes of work. But anything for more fragrant rasam!
shashi http://scovileheat.blogspot.com
July 30th, 2006 at 4:56 pmam sure there will be someone else with the same problem..so buy for a dollar and split it between..ask h(im/er) to buy it next week and repaet the process..
Perspective Inc http://the-latte-files.blogspot.com
July 31st, 2006 at 2:27 amGarnish Garnish Garnish!
I can soooo relate to your dilemma! LOL!
visithra http://visithra.blogspot.com/
July 31st, 2006 at 2:43 amEveryones given all advices - me got none to give - we have same prob - we just cook accordingly - early of the week to use n the rest without - oh i love kothamalli btw ;p
Bangalore Bytes http://doesthisthat.blogspot.com/
July 31st, 2006 at 8:56 amNope. Nope. Nope. While these are all good suggestions the de facto method of storing them for extended period of time is:
1. Wash it. Thoroughly.
2. De-stem it. As in, keep only the leaves in hand.
3. Get an ice-tray or two.
4. Half fill with water.
5. Distribute leaves evenly.
6. Fill up with water.
7. Freeze.
Now when you need to add it to Sambar or Rasam or any other curry, all you have to do is drop in a few cubes! It stays fresh, flavourful and colour intact! Try it.
capriciously_me
July 31st, 2006 at 11:00 amadadadadaaaaaaaaaaaa
ippadi ellam post ezhudhina yaaravadhu ponnu kudupaangannu nambikkai?
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
July 31st, 2006 at 11:34 amAatha CM: Over-a sallai vidadha! I have always maintained that for all the reasons behind losing the single status, the culinary reasons are perhaps the last and the least important. Ellarum unna madhiri nu nenachiya?
BBytes: Oooohhh. That’s unique. And I could try this out, but for the size factor. The quantities I can visualize while I think of this method, are typical of India. Just to give you a perspective, each bunch is at least half as big as a regular cauliflower.
Visit: Again, quantity and also I only cook thrice a week at the max. Roomie’s core competence does not include garnishing or special seasoning of any sort so I am the only one who uses cilantro in any capacity. Besides, like I tell my mom everytime she asks me on Saturday/Sunday mornings about what I am going to cook, we dont plan in advance. We open the fridge and use whatever is rotting inside.
Perspective: I KNEW there would be people who’d sympathize. Thank you.
Shashi: Enna solla vara? Veetu vasal la potti kadai poda sollariya?
gabby http://gratisgab.blogspot.com
July 31st, 2006 at 1:51 pmAnti - Chop off the stalks, dab with tissue and roll in clean paper towel and store in crisper.
Will work! Promise!
Certified Dumb Idiot http://letsbuildanation.blogspot.com
July 31st, 2006 at 6:54 pmCompletely irrelevant to the topic. The rest can safely ignore this comment. Only for the *authors* eyes.
Parsipanny! Thats where Subzi Mandi is! My Global Headquarters (Idling, Inc) is at Morristown!
Warmest Regards,
Certified Dumb Idiot.
http://www.dumbidiot.org
கிலà¯à®²à®¿ - Gilli » கொதà¯à®¤à®®à®²à¯à®²à®¿à®¯à¯à®®à¯ ஆனà¯à®Ÿà®¿à®¯à¯à®®à¯ http://gilli.in/2006/07/31/e0ae95e0af8ae0aea4e0af8de0aea4e0aeaee0aeb2e0af8de0aeb2e0aebfe0aeafe0af81e0aeaee0af8d-e0ae86e0aea9e0af8de0ae9fe0aebfe0aeafe0af81e0aeae/
July 31st, 2006 at 8:04 pm[...] அடாடா USல பரà¯à®ªà¯à®ªà¯ விலை à®à®±à®¿à®ªà¯à®ªà¯‹à®šà¯à®šà¯, கொதà¯à®¤à®®à®²à¯à®²à®¿ யானை விலை விகà¯à®•à¯à®¤à¯à®©à¯à®©à ¯ ஒரே பà¯à®²à®®à¯à®ªà®²à®¾ இரà¯à®•à¯à®•à¯. கொதà¯à®¤à®®à®²à¯à®²à®¿à®¯ பாதà¯à®•à®¾à®•à¯à®• வழி தெரிஞà¯à®šà®µà¯à®™à¯à ®• யாராசà¯à®šà¯à®®à¯ இரà¯à®¨à¯à®¤à®¾ ஆனà¯à®Ÿà®¿à®•à¯à®•à¯à®®à¯ (please read that as aNTi and not as aunty) கொஞà¯à®šà®®à¯ சொலà¯à®²à®¿ கà¯à®Ÿà¯à®¤à¯à®¤à¯à®Ÿà¯à®Ÿà வாஙà¯à®•. கொஞà¯à®šà®®à¯ பà¯à®²à®®à¯à®ªà®²à¯ கà¯à®±à¯ˆà®¯ வாயà¯à®ªà¯à®ªà¯ இரà¯à®•à¯à®•à¯ [...]
raapi http://www.raapi.blogspot.com
July 31st, 2006 at 9:09 pm-apply some salt to it
-then dip it in a soution containing monosodium glucamate
-then microwave it at medium setting for 23(nothing to do with pulikesi) seconds.
-then don’t store it…
-eat it immidiately…
of course i was kiddin..
podaanga..vera vela illa?
-raapi
Prabhu http://tringtring.blogspot.com
July 31st, 2006 at 9:52 pmSAME probs here too with pudina and curry leaves !
Ok,what is the final concensus on storing kothamalli status quo?
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
July 31st, 2006 at 10:21 pmPrabhu: I will wait for the dust to settle down and then evaluate any process changes that might be needed.
Raapi: Samayal-a velai nu nee nenaikara. Timepass nu naan nenaikaren. Onnoda vazhi - ellarum pora vazhi. En vazhi THANI vazhi. Un pinnadi - sori and padai. En pinnadi - anbaal serndha padayi. Idhu eppadi irruku?
WA: Yakkow, romba nakkal. Hmmm…
C.D.I: My universal headquarters (superstarksa, Inc.) is temporarily located in Pinebrook. I have a branch office in Rockaway and a winter headquarters in T-Nagar, Chennai.
Gabby: God promise? I shall add that variation to the list.
Soap
August 1st, 2006 at 4:14 amaNti,
I dint quite have the patience to read all of the prev comments…..
But my 2 cents for the malli storing problem, nalla clean panitu, oru thupparware dubba vaani adhukulla pottu store panni vaiyunga,…..
It should work…….
Varta…..:-)
PS: I am not a dealer for thuppareware products….:-P
anurama
August 1st, 2006 at 7:53 amPaadhi kattu kothamalli-a thaniya pirichu neat-a oru dry zip-loc cover-la pottu vainga. Meedhi paadhiya azhaga “kothamalli thokku” kelari vechukonga. Avvalo thaan.. Thayir saadathuku thottuka oru side-dish-um kedachudhu.. unga kothamalli bunch full-a waste-m aagaadhu. You can also try “kothamalli saadam”, “kothamalli dosai”, etc if you get bored with “kothamalli thokku”.
tilo http://tilotamma.blogspot.com
August 1st, 2006 at 11:23 amnalla post thambi
some body
August 1st, 2006 at 1:47 pmanantha:
here are two solutions.
1. get married. it won’t be your problem after that.
2. get married and have a hundred kids. you will need two packs of celantro per day. problem solved.
- s.b.
Certified Dumb Idiot http://letsbuildanation.blogspot.com
August 1st, 2006 at 6:30 pmOkie.. found ya on Orkut too.. Adding you there, hope that’s allright.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 1st, 2006 at 7:45 pmCDI: Ya. sure. But you are not an axe murderer, are you?
s.b: Both your solutions suck :p
Anurama: Thank you. Will definitely try that thokku part. I can understand kothamalli saadham, but kothamalli dosai, konjam over!
tilo: Vanakkam ka!
Soap: Patience is a virtue! But thanks for taking the time out to comment and doing some KT!
Prabhu
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:04 pmPeople dying in bombay, War in israel, Poverty in somalia, Kashmir issue …indha varisai’la Paandi …
I mean kothamalli prachanai …. Hmmm
-Prabhu
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:10 pmPrabhu: Avan avanukku oru prachanai da. Edhu perisu nu namma argue panna koodadhu. Ella prachanai-yum theethu vekkanum!
Truth Fairy http://truthfairy.blogspot.com
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:45 amI know people have already told you how to store them. But I’m giving my secret away anyway. I store it this way and it NEVER rots! Dries a li’l bit, yes! But once you put it in the rasam, it’s as good as ever.
Get a box with holes. You get steel dabbas with holes all over in India. If you dont have one, then you can poke holes in one of your rubbermaid boxes. Take the elastic off of the cilantro, wash them thoroughly, wring out the stems from the bottom and spread them on paper towels. Once they are dry, put them in the dabba with holes and store them in the fridge as usual. Voila!
Ungal Rasammai rasittu saapidungal! Nandri, vanakkam!
hardu http://www.hardu.blogspot.com
August 3rd, 2006 at 10:13 amI have this problem with any fresh vegetable I buy. Everything rots in just a couple of days. The best way is to stop buying Cilantro and to make the rasam without it.
WA
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:03 pmaNTi - with the current heatwave on, it appears that its the best time to make aplaam and vadaam etc. Epdi potta rombha naal nallaa irukkum appuram what’s the best way to store it etc pathi next post put please
SKM
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:27 pmNaradhare,
OOtai potta dubba works fine with me for kothamalli.
For the vegetables I use NET bags(Tomato and Beans stays better for 10 days).
capriciously_me
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:55 pmappadiye andha aplaam. vadaam ellam enga oodu pakkam parcel plz!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:41 pmCM: Too much nekkal.
SKM: Welgum! Vegetables no problem. I get only canned or frozen vegetables.
WA: Hmmm…
Hardu: You know you have to store vegetables in a cool place, like, you know, a fridge? And rasam without kothamalli is no rasam at all.
Truth Fairy: For a second your Tamil threw me off, till I realised you are the other Fairy! Thank you. Shall try just as you (and a lot of other people) said and document the results just as thoroughly.
Hiren http://hirenshah.wordpress.com/
August 4th, 2006 at 11:28 amSometimes one has to curb, one’s infatuation with herb.
DoZ http://booksmovieslife.wordpress.com
August 4th, 2006 at 1:54 pmSalutations to a fellow Kothamalli and Rasam fan. Nice post. And thanks to all the commenters for the tips.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 4th, 2006 at 9:04 pmDoZ: Thank you.. and welcome on here.
Hiren: So you are infatuated with herbs?
tilotamma
August 12th, 2006 at 9:44 ameppo ellam edhukku than “Blues” nu sollaradhunnu ellama pocchu!!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 12th, 2006 at 9:59 amTilo: Ellam oru hype-kku dhaan
tilo http://tilotamma.blogspot.com
August 13th, 2006 at 12:20 amadhu seri
TRING TRING http://tringtring.blogspot.com/2006/09/precious-item-with-me-right-now.html
September 30th, 2006 at 8:18 am