No, I am not repeating myself.
Yes, I have already written a post and shared a recipe with cilantro for Weekend Herb Blogging. However, since it is one of my favorite herbs, I didn't think that you would mind if I took the liberty of adding another entry featuring this fresh and aromatic herb.



Weekend Herb Blogging, the brainchild of Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen, is being hosted this week by Margot at Coffee and Vanilla, which is entitled "A Euro-Caribbean Food Blog." Sounds like a great mix!


© YAYAYAYAYAY!

Cilantro is featured in many cuisines around the world; Southeast Asian, Mexican, North African, Indian and Middle Eastern food all use copious amounts, usually added fresh at the end of the cooking to preserve its clean flavor.

We planned a quiet Sunday today so I spent the morning making an Indian feast complete with homemade naan bread, yellow split pea dal, chicken tikka, spicy grilled onions, steamed rice and a cooling raita made from plain yogurt, cucumber, spices and minced cilantro.



Cucumber and Cilantro Raita
makes 2 cups

1 hothouse cucumber
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
a pinch of cayenne pepper

Peel cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise.
Remove seeds with a spoon and chop the cucumber coarsely.
Combine cucumber, yogurt, garam masala and cilantro in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle cayenne over the top and serve.

There's another good reason to love cilantro - it is thought to be an aphrodisiac!