Cilantro
21 recipes found
Chicken Meatballs With Yogurt Sauce
This recipe transforms ground chicken into flavorful meatballs using warm spices, like paprika, cumin and coriander, and fresh herbs, like parsley, mint and cilantro, for binding instead of bread crumbs. Like Turkish kofte, these tender meatballs pair perfectly with a simple, garlicky yogurt sauce. Serve them with salad, rice pilaf or on toasted bread for a balanced and satisfying meal.
Chorizo, Egg and Cheese Tostadas
These breakfast tostadas are stacked with porky beans, funky cheese and runny eggs. It’s a dish with a lot of contrasting textures — the crunchy tostada, creamy chorizo beans and a jammy egg — that blend together cohesively. This recipe speeds things up by starting with canned beans, making it perfect for busy mornings. The beans are fried in the rendered chorizo fat to soften them and infuse them with warm spices, then mashed with chicken broth until smooth and spreadable. This recipe calls for raw Mexican pork chorizo rather than the cured Spanish variety. A squeeze of lime and a spoonful of salsa (such as salsa fresca or salsa macha) provide acidity to balance the rich elements of the dish, while the serranos and cilantro add a hit of freshness. You can have a single tostada for a light breakfast or a couple for a complete meal.
Hari Chutney Spaghetti
In the time it takes to bring a large pot of water to a boil, you can make a batch of herby, bright and spicy green chutney, also known as hari chutney (hari means “green” in Hindi). When combined with Parmesan, butter and pasta water, the chutney transforms into a silky, tangy sauce that clings perfectly to pasta. This chutney is a classic South Asian cilantro-based version, but feel free to incorporate other tender herbs like dill, mint or basil.
Nashif Rubian (Tamarind-Tomato Shrimp)
This richly sauced, tangy shrimp recipe from Bahrain is characteristic of the island’s love for dishes that are well-spiced, herb-heavy and slightly sour. “Nashif rubian” means “dry shrimp” in Arabic, referring to the sauce that gets cooked down until thick and rich. Traditionally, nashif rubian is scooped up with Arabic khobez (or flatbread), but some fluffy white rice will also do well to soak up the flavorful sauce. If you like spice, then finely chop up the green chiles rather than adding them whole. It is well worth sourcing tamarind pulp for this recipe, which you can find sold in blocks at most South Asian grocery stores.
One-Pot Shrimp and Tomato Pulao
This shrimp pulao is a beloved staple in the kitchens of Mumbai’s Parsi community, descendants of Zoroastrians who settled in India after fleeing religious persecution in Iran. Rooted in the rich traditions of South Asian cooking, the dish features familiar elements like cumin, red chile powder and fragrant basmati rice. What truly sets this pulao apart is its unmistakable tang from a bold, savory mix of tomatoes, vinegar, lemon slices and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. That signature sourness balances the gentle sweetness of plump shrimp and caramelized onions, creating a deeply satisfying one-pot meal. Ready in under an hour and easily scalable, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd with minimal fuss. Serve with a cooling raita, alongside dhanshak or all by itself.
Zanzibari Mix (Urojo)
A fragrant, brothy green mango soup with a sour bite, Zanzibar mix is a staple of the archipelago’s street food stands. The soup is made with an aromatic base of onion, garlic, ginger and chile. It’s then typically topped with chunky mashed potato, crunchy bits that can include falafel or cassava chips, and a boiled egg. The essence is in the combination of ingredients, and the choice is yours. Here, the toppings include onions, tomatoes, spiced toasted panko, cilantro and any hot pepper sauce you like best, but feel free to improvise. The soup will make enough to cool, portion and refrigerate (for up to a week) or freeze (for up to three months).
Cantonese Noodle Soup
This simple Cantonese noodle soup is endlessly adaptable. Choose rice noodles or egg noodles, add pickled mustard greens, oyster sauce and chile oil for pungency and spice, or leave them out for a mellower broth. The combination of good broth, springy noodles and leafy greens makes for a satisfying foundation no matter how you zip it up.
Paneer Fried Rice
This version of the endlessly riffable, quick and comforting meal of fried rice is inspired by both Chinese and Indian flavors. Paneer, the firm, mild South Asian cheese, is first cooked in soy sauce, developing a sticky, umami-rich coating. Homemade and store-bought paneer work equally well in this recipe, and its mellow flavor provides the perfect backdrop for salt and spice from soy sauce and green chiles. Frozen veggies thaw in minutes in the same skillet the rice cooks in and this handy shortcut significantly cuts down prep time without compromising on flavor. Cilantro adds brightness and scallions bring a juicy, edgy crunch.
Sea Bass With Garlic Chips and Salsa Macha
When I visited Veracruz, Mexico, a number of years ago, there was a wonderful seaside restaurant where the specialty was a whole fried fish topped liberally with lightly fried garlic chips, called huachinango (red snapper) al mojo de ajo. (“Al mojo de ajo” can also refer to more complex garlic sauces.) Here, a version of that preparation is employed for fish fillets. First, garlic slices are gently fried in oil until golden, and then the fish is fried in the same oil. The fish is then drizzled with salsa macha, which isn’t traditional but nicely complementary, and tucked into warm tortillas, making for wonderful tacos.
Zanzibari Pizza
A very Zanzibari improvisation, this take on pizza is familiar to locals and tourists alike, but it's very different from the Italian original. Instead of a crust with toppings, it’s a roti cooked on a flat, hot griddle, and folded around a spiced ground meat filling enhanced with cabbage, fresh eggs, tomatoes, shallots and sometimes crumbled cheese. A roti or paratha is used here, but frozen green onion pancakes also work. Serve with hot pepper sauce and ketchup for dipping.
Tomato and Burrata Salad With Chile Crisp
Tomato and burrata couple up nicely for a light summer meal, and they get an instant makeover with the addition of chile crisp. A powerful weeknight tool, the condiment is made with a heady mix of spices suspended in a fiery red oil, brimming with complexity and umami. In this recipe, the chile crisp both seasons and dresses the salad. Every brand of chile crisp will vary in spice, heat and saltiness, so vary the amount accordingly. The spicy oil is tamed by the milky, buttery burrata, though you could also substitute with fresh mozzarella or ricotta. Be generous with the cilantro, as it brings a bright, floral note to the tomatoes. This makes an excellent main-meal salad served with bread, or can be enjoyed with noodles or pasta.
Aguachile Shrimp Salad
Aguachile, the fiery dish from Mexico’s Pacific coast, means “chile water,” a reference to the bold sauce, which blends lime juice, dried chiles, fresh serranos, cilantro and cucumbers. Fresh raw shellfish, such as shrimp or scallops, are marinated and lightly cooked by the acid. Here, the aguachile sauce is swirled into sour cream with just a touch of mayo to turn it into a silky and electric dressing for quickly boiled shrimp, and thinly sliced tomatillos add a crisp, gooseberry-like freshness. Since the shrimp is cooked, the dish travels well, making it the perfect centerpiece for a picnic or a summer get-together. Feel free to use shell-on shrimp if you prefer and peel them after cooking.
Grilled Shrimp Ceviche With Corn and Coconut
Though technically not a ceviche, as the shrimp are grilled first, this dish is deeply inspired by the ceviche variations that span across Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific Islands. Marinated in rich limey coconut milk, this lively, refreshing dish feels quintessentially summery — perfect for outdoor dining — while grilled corn and shrimp add depth and a subtle smokiness. Serve as a salad or with tortillas, plantain chips or saltines. It’s best to not overcook the shrimp on the grill and let it continue to “cook” in the marinade.
Coconut-Cilantro Chicken and Rice
The hero of chicken and rice is usually chicken — but in this recipe, it’s the rice. This creamy, almost risotto-like rice cooks in a bright, herby spinach and coconut broth, forming a vibrant bed for the warmly spiced chicken. As the chicken roasts, the rendered fat releases into the rice, adding rich flavor. The frozen peas are added at the very end to preserve their color and add a bit of freshness to balance the flavors. Feel free to adjust the amount of lime juice you stir in at the end, and garnish with as much sliced chile and torn cilantro as you like.
Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad With Corn Chips
This superquick corn and black bean salad is enlivened with crackly corn chips, in the spirit of salads like fattoush, panzanella and crispy noodle salad. When corn is at its peak, its subtly sweet raw kernels are plump and juicy, and the perfect addition to salads. Corn pairs beautifully with earthy black beans and this sprightly cumin-lime vinaigrette. The corn, black beans, cilantro and vinaigrette can mingle up to 4 hours ahead, so this make-ahead dish is perfect for a picnic, potluck, cookout, or simply dinner. For best results, toss in the corn chips and avocado just before serving.
Bánh Mì Salad
Beloved by many for good reason, the flavors and textures of a bánh mì are the inspiration for this recipe. Crisp quick-marinated vegetables, tender herbs and lettuces, spicy jalapeño, creamy avocado and sweet ham are dressed in a version of tangy nước chấm and then topped with buttery crackers instead of the bread that gives the Vietnamese sandwich its name. While the ingredient list might seem long, there’s no cooking involved and this salad comes together in about 20 minutes. Any type of ham will work, but if you buy a roast, you’ll be able to carve the ham as thin as you'd like. For a different take, cooked bacon, rotisserie chicken or tofu make excellent options, too.
Baked Salmon With Harissa and Cherry Tomatoes
This easy salmon tray bake packs a real punch thanks to the flavorful marinade it cooks in. The soy sauce is a bit of a non-Middle Eastern wild card, but contributes a welcome umami flavor. Tunisian harissa adds a nice subtle spice to this dish, but you can also swap it out for biber salçasi, a Turkish red pepper paste that you can find in most Turkish or Middle Eastern grocery stores. Like harissa, biber salçasi comes in both mild and hot varieties, so pick whichever one suits you. Serve the salmon with some steamed rice and lightly dressed greens if you like.
Shrimp Aguachile
Aguachile, the bright and punchy seafood dish from coastal Sinaloa, Mexico, gets its name (which translates to “chile water”) from the vibrant blend of chiles, lime juice and salt that transform the sweet flesh of raw shrimp into tender, tart flavor bombs. Unlike ceviche, where seafood marinates in citrus until it's fully “cooked,” aguachile hits the table soon after the shrimp meets the zesty chile water. While the aguachile is on your plate, the lime juice continues its work on the sweet, delicate shrimp, so each bite offers a slightly different texture without ever turning rubbery. Use as many serranos as your heart desires and your palate can handle.
Summer Roll Noodle Salad
Taking a cue from Vietnamese summer rolls, this rice vermicelli noodle salad is packed with the bold, bright flavors and textures reminiscent of its namesake dish. With tender lettuce for its sweet, earthiness (and a nod to the lettuce often used to wrap around spring rolls), a hefty handful of fresh herbs and plump shrimp, this salad is texturally rich and full of fresh flavors. The dressing — a hybrid of peanut dipping sauce and nước chấm — is nutty, punchy and deeply savory thanks to the fish sauce and hoisin. To lessen the fiery bite of the Thai chile in the dressing, let it sit in the lime juice before adding the rest of the ingredients. A combination of carrots and bean sprouts bulk up the salad, but feel free to swap more of one for the other.
Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Chicken Enchiladas)
Enchiladas Suizas are sort of a lie. They are neither chile-laden nor from Switzerland. The name likely comes from using an abundance of cream and cheese in the recipe, which Mexicans associate with the alpine country due to its famous dairy production. These enchiladas, a combination of lightly fried corn tortillas filled with tender shredded chicken, bathed in velvety salsa verde and blanketed with melted cheese, were invented in the early 20th century at the famed Sanborns de los Azulejos, a Mexican café chain that turned the dish into a cultural icon throughout Mexico. That salsa verde? It is swirled into cream with a simple roux to keep the thickened salsa from separating and to tame any heat that you might expect from serrano chiles. For a weeknight-friendly version, shredded rotisserie chicken can save you some time.
Tamarind Glazed Oxtails
Inspired by her time working at a restaurant on the island of St. John in the Virgin Islands, this recipe from the chef Lana Lagomarsini, pairs unctuous braised oxtails with the tart flavor of tamarind to create this hearty, luxurious braise. “We would pick tamarind fruit right off of the tree behind the restaurant and I fell in love with its flavor,” the chef remembers. It can be paired with Ms. Lagomarsini’s punchy chow chow recipe, and is also perfect atop a bed of rice and peas, or fungi, a Caribbean cornmeal and okra side dish. Any addition, really, makes this meal feel abundant and celebratory.