Exploring the culinary magic of coriander oil

A few years ago chilli oil was all the craze popping up on menus grocery shelves and dinersrsquo minds With a kick of heat and a hint of sweetness it is still a prominent ingredient in kitchens although in an obvious manner Picking up on the trend now is coriander oil that has been finding its way into the menus of the cityrsquos most awarded restaurants Itrsquos only a matter of time before it seeps into consumer consciousness and citywide menus Ekaarsquos chef Niyati Rao shares ldquoI think this trend is taking place with every single oil right now chefs have started to realise the potential of extracting oil from different ingredients and why not It brings out more flavour As the culinary world progresses people are looking at ingredients not just in their natural forms but other forms that they can be used inrdquoSous Vide ChickenLast month this writer tasted koji cucumber and sweet cream dotted with vibrant green at Ekaarsquos Sunday Picnic which added as chef Rao terms a flash of freshness to the dish More recently from Slink amp Bardot chef AliAkbar Baldiwalarsquos solkadhi broth with barramundi ceviche came with coriander oil and now itrsquos hard to imagine solkadhi without it In keeping with their lightbite day menu SesameHyatt Centric Juhu has a chilli cilantro cheddar melt sourdough toastie where the coriander oil is infused with a coriander pesto and topped with the fresh herb Chef Rahul Shrivastava executive chef at Sesame adds ldquoItrsquos an interesting flavour which gives a dish a great deal of freshness elevating it and a bit of citrusrdquo Chef Rao adds that coriander offers an aftertaste of citrus flavour and fragrance without the acidic sourness quite opposite to the earthiness of dried coriander seedsChef Amit ShettyThe oil makes an appearance in two of Cafeacute Noirrsquos dishes mdash sous vide chicken and red snapper that incorporates the oil into the slowcooked chicken and is also used as a garnish ldquoIt also adds a colour component to the dishrdquo chef Amit Shetty from the Lower Parel eatery explains We eat with our eyes and perhaps the visual cue aids our comprehension of the flavour Rao adds ldquoAlong with the visual appeal when the thought process of using any flavour oil is unveiled to the customer theyrsquore fascinated and therersquos a newfound respect for the chef dish and ingredientrdquochef Rahul ShrivastavaThere seems to be truth behind the trend or in this case flavour Rao decodes it ldquoInfusing an herb with oil encapsulates that initial fresh flavour of the herb and intensifies the depth of flavour components Oil does thatrdquo She explains why these flavours are so prominent even as a garnish ldquoWith a waterbased dish using an oil goes a long way because the two mediums canrsquot emulsify without an acid So you can taste the coriander as incorporated in the dish but also separatelyrdquo It also texturally balances a dish when chefs canrsquot use handfuls of fresh herb they can use just a drizzle Rao concludesChef Niyati RaoInnovation funFor experimenters at home Rao suggests pairing coriander oil with raita dahi and salt in broths with noodles or with poached chicken while chef Shrivastava stands by his motherrsquos chutney recipe of fresh coriander salt lemon and one green chilli Eat it with dal chawal and dahi he recommendsKoji cucumber and sweet creamTaste it heregtgt Burrata chaatAt Nksha Veer Nariman Road ChurchgateCost Rs 900gtgt Koji cucumber sweet creamAt Ekaa Kitab Mahal Fort Manzil Veer Nariman Road ChurchgateCost Rs 2400 onwards Part of the Sunday Picnic set menugtgt Chilli coriander cheddar melt toastieAt SesameHyatt Centric JuhuCost Rs 535Coriander oil Pic CourtesyEkaagtgt Sous vide chickenAt Cafe Noir Senapati Bapat Marg Lower ParelCost Rs 825 onwardsgtgt Barramundi ceviche with solkadhi brothAt Slink amp Bardot Thadani House WorliCost Rs 3500 onwards Part of the Tales from the Shoreline menuMake it at homePlace coriander leaves in a strainer and plunge into the boiling water for 15 seconds Remove and immediately plunge into a bowl of water filled with ice cubes Place in a blender with olive oil Whiz until the leaves are broken down Add vegetable oil and whiz for one minute on high speedChef Amit Shetty