| PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 10 MIN | SERVES: 4 |
Cilantro (coriander) or dhaniya in Nepali is the most popular herb used in Nepali dishes. I absolutely love its aroma and flavor. This is also one of the most versatile herbs that can be used to make large varieties of dishes or to simply add flavor to an existing meal. I seriously add cilantro to almost everything (curry, soup, salad, sandwiches, chips, pasta, sauce, etc). Cilantro is available all year round in major cities of Nepal. I decided to pick some cilantro from my home garden and make a spicy dipping sauce with some tomatoes and timmur (sichuan pepper).
Timmur is one of the most popular Himalayan spices used in Nepali cooking, especially in my signature tomato sauce (golveda ko achaar). It has a pungent and spicy flavor that adds an extremely aromatic flavor. Timur is also used to spice up curries and soups. This is one of my favorite seasonal sauce recipes and pairs great with any food like fries, chips, pasta, pizza, sandwich, sides, salad, you name it.
Note: I like to make my sauce in different ways. Sometimes I cook in this method but during the mint season, I add a few mint leaves and a hint of lemon juice to add extra flavor.
Cilantro helps lower blood pressure. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals that prevent vision disorders.
| INGREDIENTS | SPICES |
|---|---|
| Tomato: 500 g | Oil: 1 tsp Cilantro: 150 g Timmur (Sichuan pepper): 1/2 tsp Salt: 1 tsp Green Chillies: 3 medium |
STEPS
- Wash the cilantro and tomatoes thoroughly and make sure there is no dirt left.
- Cut the tomatoes down the middle.
- Heat a pan on medium and add oil.
- Add cumin seeds.
- Temper for a few seconds then add tomatoes in the pan facing cut sides down.
- Add salt and close the lid. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
- Take the lid off and turn the tomatoes. Close the lid again and cook for two more minutes.
- Take the lid off and mix. Tomatoes should be cooked by now.
- Turn the stove off and let everything cool down.
- In a blender add cilantro, timur, salt, green chilies, and roasted tomatoes. Blend the mixture until the sauce is smooth.
- Pour into your favorite dipping bowl and garnish.
- Your crowd-pleasing cilantro sauce (dhaniya ko achaar) is ready to serve. I made dhaniya ko achaar with white rice, gundruk ko jhol and fried potatoes on the side. This is a great combo. Try it out. You will love it.
