Nourishing and Refreshing Cilantro

Cilantro  also known as Chinese parsley, refers to the leaves of the coriander plant. It's easy to grow from seed in your garden or in a pot in bright sun.

According to Ayurveda, cilantro offers the bitter and astringent tastes. It is a cooling herb and puts out excess flames in the stomach and generally enhances the digestion without aggravating Pitta dosha.

In recent years, modern science has discovered that cilantro is a natural chelation agent, very helpful in removing heavy metals such as lead, mercury and aluminum from the body. To get the benefit of cilantro's chelating property, enjoy a couple of teaspoons of cilantro chutney with your meals on a regular basis.

Cilantro Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and soft stems


• 6-8 almonds, soaked in hot water and blanched


• 4 walnuts, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes


• 4 tbsps cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 tbsps fresh-squeezed lemon juice


• Umeboshi Paste or Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste.

Method:

Wash cilantro thoroughly and drain.

Place the cilantro, nuts and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Gradually add the olive oil and continue processing.

Season with the Umeboshi Paste or Sea Salt and Black Pepper and blend for a few seconds more.

(Serves 4-6)