alternative to coriander?

[thisisyesterday]

I h ave discovered that I have quite a nasty reaction to coriander, both fresh leaves and ground seeds.

is there anything similar I could use to replace this in dishes? I am loving my Ottolenghi cookbook right now, but a LOT of his food has coriander in... I normally just leave it out but was thinking it would be nice if i could replace it with something else

try flat leaf parsley

thanks bruffin :) will give that a go

Flat leaf parsley looks the same as coriander but doesn't taste the same at all. It really depends whether you want to try to replicate the flavour of the coriander or whether you want to use something that tastes 'good but different'.

In terms of recreating the flavour, the coriander leaf has a fresh, slightly peppery taste. Something like nasturtium leaves would give the peppery taste, and carrot or celery leaves would give a depth of flavour without adding heat.

Coriander seed has a very different taste to the leaves. It is an earthy, warming flavour. You could try substituting it with turmeric, mustard seeds, ground allspice (aka Jamaican black pepper) or sumac (although this also has a citrusy flavour).

You aren't really going to get a coriander flavour out of anything that is not coriander, but it is worth playing around and getting to know what other spices do to a dish. Let your tastebuds tell you if it works or not!

Second thistledew on alternatives to coriander seed.
It really deeoends on wether you are recreating a mediterranean, south asian, cajun etc... Flavor.

With ottolenghi recipes, yes, flat leaf parsley would work well with most italian/lebanese inspied recipes. With lemon, garlic, chili flakes, thyme etc...

Some things need a lifting fresh flavor rather than an earthy one like parsley.
Such as shredded cabbage with tahini sauce and pomegranate.

Dill/ chervill or spring onion also work well the freshen salsas tossed with grilled chicken/fish, fresh fruit and veg.

Mint and thai basil are great too in south asian dishes when you want to bypass coriander.

thanks thistle and laptop :) both replies really helpful!

my rabbits are going to be really pissed when I start keeping the carrot tops for myself

"good but different" is fine! although also would be nice to find something similar in flavour too, so will definitely experiment with some of the ideas you've both given.