#ewew cooks Fresh Coriander Omelette

Love it or loathe it!  That's what fresh coriander (the leaves, not the seeds) is to many people....some love it immensely (like me) for its fragrance when added to anything.  Others loathe it for its smell and taste....and would spend their precious time picking out every single piece if they find it on any part of their food! :D

Fresh coriander is known by many names.  To the westerners, it's usually referred to as cilantro or Chinese parsley (to distinguish it from their western parsley which is not the same).  For us Chinese, we call it yin sai.....and to the Malays, it's known as daun ketumbar.

If you're a fan of watching cooking shows, you'll probably have heard many times how the chefs would say not to discard the coriander root as it's the most fragrant and delicious part (I certainly agree when I smell the roots).  They would not waste it but chop them up and throw them in marinades, sauces soups and stews.  I would too....if I get them in a condition like theirs...super clean!  But have they seen the fresh coriander sold here?  They come to us full of mud, dirt and soil! >_<  So, most of us would probably just snip off the muddy ends.  We even have to wash the stalks carefully as dirt gets trapped between the stems.

Most people would make spring onion/scallion omelette or chives omelette (like what choiyen.com would do...I do too) but what about coriander omelette?  Have you tried that before?  I have.....and the first time was accidental.  I wanted to include some kind of a protein in my salad but didn't have any meat, so I thought I'd just fry an omelette...and since I had some fresh coriander left in my fridge, I thought why not include that in my omelette.

And that's what I did....and it turned out better than I anticipated.  The fresh coriander leaves gave the omelette a very fragrant smell and delicious taste.  That fragrance added an extra lift to the fresh, crunchy salad leaves I was eating....and I've added fresh coriander to my salads ever since (whenever I have them in my fridge).

Of course, an omelette like this is only for true lovers of this fresh herb....to others it would be a stinky omelette.  But if you're someone who makes scallion or chives omelette, then you'll probably love a coriander omelette too...coz, more or less, spring onions and chives can be considered cousins of coriander.

What would most people do with fresh coriander anyway?  They would usually use it as a garnish....over steamed fish is the most common.

Or sprinkled over soups.  It's especially good with chee toh tong (pig stomach pepper soup) or chee chap tong (pork innards soup).  I do that at home all the time...sprinkle throw in lots of coriander (for my bowl only obviously) when I make peppercorn pork ribs soup or any other soup for that matter.

I even sprinkle them (if I have any in my fridge) over soup noodles that I tapau to eat at home.  You don't get that outside coz the stalls are too kedekut (stingy) to give you any as it's an expensive garnish.  They're equally stingy with their spring onions.

I use them in porridge too (together with chopped spring onions).  I find that the addition of lots of chopped Chinese parsley really helps to bring out that harum (fragrant) smell in an otherwise subtle tasting bowl of porridge.  Just stir that into the porridge at the last minute....try it some time.

If you're making pork meatballs, I recommend that you add chopped coriander (instead of spring onions) to the mix...it makes a world of difference....but only if your family members share the same love for coriander.  I realised this after eating a truly delicious meat stuffed tau pok with coriander from a fish ball noodle restaurant (though there are times they substitute with daun sup instead which is much cheaper). 

If you want a change from all the other omelettes you've been cooking with minced meat, long beans, lap cheong, onions, choy poh, luncheon meat, etc., give the coriander omelette a try next.

A little side story.  I recently 'met' an elderly lady who loves coriander more than me. I was doing my vegetables shopping one morning and was picking out a bunch of fresh coriander.  The sign said RM3.50 for a bunch (already tied-up) or RM9 for 3 bunches (my one bunch filled up two containers).  Then this elderly lady next to me (who spoke to me in Cantonese) asked me if it's RM9 for 3 bunches.  I thought she did not see the RM3.50 for one bunch and told her yes, RM9 for 3 but you can buy one for RM3.50, I said.  Again, she asked....but, but, but, it's RM9 for 3, right?  That's when I realised she wanted 3 bunches and I asked "Can you use that much?"  She said, "I put lots of it when I cook tofu, it's very nice."  Aiks, looks like she loves fresh coriander so much, she treats it like a vegetable....lol! :D  Hmmm, maybe I should try that when I next make a tofu dish.

I remember hating this herb when I was a kid (which sane kid wouldn't!) and thinking why would someone put something so stinky on something delicious (pungent then, fragrant now!).  This went well into my teenage years, even right up to my twenties, I think.  I can't remember at which point I started liking it...and now I love it so much I eat it at every chance I get (I guess I'm making up for lost time....lol).  But I still have not learned to love daun sup as much I do fresh coriander.

For me, fresh coriander is not only the best garnish ever.....it's the best ingredient to bring freshness to lift up any dish!!  And what can be more aromatic....and easier......than making a fresh coriander omelette if you love to eat coriander (like me).

I make this omelette for mua only since none of the boys in the house like fresh coriander....my son hates it...my husband can tolerate it (slightly).....and Cookie runs away from it! ^_~