An Indonesian Tea:

Delectable Asian Dishes Featuring Cilantro/Coriander

Menu


Shrimp salad

Summer rolls

Baked samosas with mango chutney

Egg salad sandwiches

Date scones with mango jam and cream

Green tea cakes with white chocolate mousse

Pineapple with cilantro and mint

Coriander cookies

Dutch cookies

Earl Grey, Zen, and ginger teas


Shrimp Salad

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalape
ño pepper, seeded and finely minced

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
juice and zest of half a lime

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Combine shrimp with cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper. Combine rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, and lime zest and juice. Pour over shrimp mixture and toss.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate.

Curried Egg Salad

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced

1 tablespoon garlic chives, minced

1 tablespoon mango chutney, any large pieces minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Baked Mushroom Samosas

1 egg, separated

Filling and dough (recipes follow)

Mango chutney

Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix egg white with 1 teaspoon of water. Mix egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Remove dough from plastic wrap and roll thin, using flour sparingly as needed. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before rolling out.) Cut three-inch circles or squares. Place one tablespoon of mushroom filling in the center. Brush edge of dough with egg white wash before sealing edges together to make half moons (circle shape) or triangles (square). Use tines of a fork to further seal edges. Place samosas on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with egg yolk wash. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until samosas are golden brown. Serve with mango chutney garnished with fresh sprigs of cilantro.

Dough:

½ cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

½ teaspoon salt

Cream softened butter and cream cheese together in a food processor. Add flour and salt and process until loose dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, jalapeño pepper, and salt and spices. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have softened and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool for five minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Vegetarian Summer Rolls

¼ cup vinegar

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons whole coriander seed

½ teaspoon salt

2 carrots, thinly julienned

4 ounces rice vermicelli, cooked according to package instructions

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned

2 cups shredded lettuce

Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro

12 round rice paper wrappers

Bring vinegar and water to a boil. Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Add coriander and steep for 10 minutes. Strain out coriander seed and pour the brine over the julienned carrots. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain carrots and blot with paper towels. Prepare rice vermicelli according to package directions. Soak each rice paper wrapper in hot water until soft, according to package directions. Place on a flat surface and top with a few cilantro leaves, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and rice vermicelli. Carefully roll by folding bottom third over ingredients then folding two sides in and rolling tightly. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce:

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon chili garlic paste

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Water or milk to thin

Chopped peanuts for garnish

Combine peanut butter, hoisin sauce, chili garlic paste, and rice vinegar. Thin with water or milk to desired consistency.

Date Scones with Mango Jam and Coriander Whipped Cream

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1½ cups heavy cream plus extra for brushing
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
Sugar in the raw for sprinkling on top

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and coriander. Place in a food processor with butter cubes. Process in quick bursts until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Move mixture to a mixing bowl and toss in dates. Drizzle in heavy cream, little by little, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently until it comes together. Pat into a 5-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut into 16 equal triangles. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with cream. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden. Serve with mango jam and coriander whipped cream.

Coriander Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons sugar

Combine shipping cream, coriander, and sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strain out coriander seeds. Cover and chill for 6 to 8 hours. Whip cream until soft peaks form.

Almond Spice Cookies with Coriander

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

⅛ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1 large egg yolk

¼ cup slivered almonds, chopped

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons brandy or rum

Sugar in the raw or sanding sugar

Sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (if using). Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in egg yolk and almonds. Add one-third of flour mixture and mix. Add half the molasses and brandy, mix. Continue alternating dry ingredients with molasses and brandy, mixing between each addition. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll three-quarter inch balls of dough and space one inch apart on parchment. Using moistened fingertips, flatten dough into disks. Sprinkle top of each cookie with sugar in the raw or sanding sugar. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until slightly darkened on the edges, rotating baking sheet as necessary. Yield: 4 dozen.

Green Tea Cakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Coriander White Chocolate Mousse

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon green tea powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract

1 jar lemon curd

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease with shortening or butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Line two sides and bottom with a 9x13-inch piece of parchment. Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, green tea powder, and ground coriander. Mix into batter until smooth. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth top to evenly distribute batter. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the cake tests done. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Remove from pan and slice cake horizontally across the middle. Trim edges. Cut into 25 squares. Spoon 1 teaspoon of lemon curd on the bottom of each piece and replace the top. Pipe on coriander white chocolate mousse.

Coriander White Chocolate Mousse:

1½ cups heavy cream, divided

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons sugar

2 egg yolks

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Combine one-half cup cream, coriander, sugar, and egg yolks in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of the spoon. Place the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Strain the hot mixture over the white chocolate. Stir until smooth. Whip remaining cup of heavy cream until almost stiff peaks form. Fold half the whipped cream into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Cover and chill. Spoon chilled filling into a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe onto cakes.

Pineapple with Cilantro and Mint

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed (core removed)
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon mint, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon coconut rum

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.