Coriandrum sativum (Apiaceae, parsely family)
Name: Coriander or Cilantro (U.S.A.)
Hindi Name: Dhaniya

The herb, Coriandrum sativum, gives us two distinctly different flavors for the kitchen. Both the seed and the plant are aromatic and are used both crushed and whole. The beige fruit (mistakenly called seed) is round, ribbed and/or spiked. When we refer to the plants used for leaf production we call them cilantro - when we refer to the plant grown for fruit (seed) we call it Coriander.

The lacy foliage is "cilantro", a parsley-like garnish with a distinctive, fresh fragrance that is used in Southeast Asian salads, Chinese, Thai, and Mexican dishes, poultry dishes, meat dishes and soups.

The dried seeds are "coriander", a pleasantly aromatic spice that is much used in European, Indian and Middle Eastern stews, sausages, curries, meat, beans, cookies, sweet breads, cakes and wine as seasoning.

Medicinal Properties:
Coriander and cilantro have been advocated for health purposes in folk therapies, and the list of such uses is similar to those for other spices. However, no medical value has been adequately evaluated, and thus this popular herb/spice remains a cook’s ingredient, and is utilized as a manufacturer’s flavor, rather than being recognized as an herbalist’s medication. Mostly used to settle the stomach, its warm, fragrant taste does make it preferable to some of the more pungent, powerful herbs like savory. In fact, coriander is often used commercially as an ingredient to make medications more palatable. It is also used as a flavoring in gin, pickles and sausages, as well as a component of makeup and perfumes.

Home Made Chutney/chatni Recipe
From Cilantro : My mom uses traditional grinding stone for making chutney in India. Very easy, very tasty and very healthy..

Ingredients:
1. Indian Gooseberry (Amla, Awala) 5 in number

2. Fresh green Cilantro 50 gms

3. Green chilly 2 in number (optional)

4. Mustard oil one tea spoon

5. Salt to taste

Preparation:
Step1. Remove the seeds from Indian Gooseberry

Step2. Wash cilantro properly and separate roots and keep the fresh leaves aside

Step3. Grind Indian Gooseberry, cilantro, and green chillies

Step4. Mix one tea spoon of mustard oil and salt to taste

 Tasty chutney is ready to serve.