The ground dried fruit of the coriander plant, warm and citrusy with a mild floral sweetness from linalool - it tastes nothing like the fresh leaves.
What it does in a recipe: A sweet, rounding spice that softens and lifts heavier ones, which is why it so often appears alongside cumin. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Allergen checkBlended masalas differ between producers and some use wheat flour or shared production lines. Check the packaging before cooking gluten-free, and where the allergy is medical, ask the manufacturer rather than relying on a recipe.
Coriander seed and cilantro leaf come from one plant but share almost no aromatic compounds. A recipe calling for one is never satisfied by the other.
At a glance
Ground coriander in summary
Ground coriander at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use whole coriander seed, toasted and ground instead of ground coriander?
1 tsp whole coriander seed = about 1 1/4 tsp ground coriander. Whole seeds are hollow and take up less room than the powder they yield, so a teaspoon of seed produces around a teaspoon and a quarter ground. Far brighter than the pre-ground spice, whose linalool is largely gone within a few months.
Can I use ground cumin instead of ground coriander?
1 tsp ground coriander = 3/4 tsp ground cumin. The two are the standard pairing in most spice blends and belong to the same family, but cumin is heavier and more dominant, so use a little less. Earthier and more assertive, without coriander's citrus lift. The dish will feel heavier.
Can I use garam masala instead of ground coriander?
1 tsp ground coriander = 3/4 tsp garam masala. Coriander is typically the largest component of a garam masala by volume, so a slightly smaller measure delivers a comparable amount of it. Adds cinnamon, clove and pepper, which suits a finished curry and overwhelms a simple vegetable dish.
Can I use ground caraway with a little lemon zest instead of ground coriander?
1 tsp ground coriander = 1/2 tsp ground caraway + 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest. Caraway supplies the seed-spice body from the same plant family and the zest restores the citrus note that defines coriander. The anise character of caraway is more prominent than anything in coriander. Better in a stew than a dry rub.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.