Saved by a coriander discovery,

The smell, the flavour and the look of coriander makes it a herb I can’t live without. Here’s an example of how much I love coriander. I bought some in Canadian Super Store then at the next shop, bought another bunch! If you’re a coriander nut like me, you’ll love my discovery on Fiji’s main island.

I’m spoilt when it comes to Indian food. If you’ve tasted the flavours in South India, Gujarat or East Africa you’ll understand. After being on a Russian cruise for a week where I couldn’t eat anything, I was dying for some spice. First of all, I was seasick for the first time in my life and secondly, the smell of boiled cabbage as I walked into the dining room didn’t do it for me.

At the end of the cruise, we docked in Nadi or Suva (I can’t remember) and raced to the first Indian restaurant only to discover that the flavour was lost somewhere between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. I was about to pout when the waiter put a bowl of coriander chutney next to the food. It gave the food so much flavour, I had to put some on my tongue to work out the ingredients.

Now, whenever I cook curry and it doesn’t quite make the grade, coriander chutney saves me. Here’s the ingredients I figured out went into the paste: a bunch of coriander, crushed garlic, salt, a chilli and a dob of oil all thrown together in a blender. I’m eating it right now because I let the onions fry too long in the pilau.