Kothamalli is Coriandrum sativum, coriander — the leaf Tamil kitchens chop and the round fruit Hindi kitchens call dhania. English cilantro is the leaf; coriander often means the fruit. One species, two smells, two jobs. It is not parsley, and it is not culantro (Eryngium foetidum).
- Botanical name
- Coriandrum sativum L.
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Tamil
- Kothamalli
- Hindi
- Dhania
- Sanskrit
- Dhānyaka
- Parts used
- Leaves, Dried fruit
- Habit
- Annual umbellifer; leaf and fruit are two kitchen jobs
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Kothamalli
Linnaeus published Coriandrum sativum. The family is Apiaceae. It is an annual with two leaf shapes: broad lower leaves and finely cut upper ones, umbels of small white-to-pink flowers, and a globose, ribbed fruit that splits into two mericarps.
Leaf and fruit smell different because the chemistry does. People who taste soap in the leaf are a documented minority, not a defect in the plant.
Tamil kothamalli, Hindi dhania / hara dhania (leaf) and Sanskrit dhānyaka are the names. English coriander and cilantro are this species. Eryngium foetidum (culantro, recao) is a different, tougher leaf used in Caribbean and some South-east Asian pots.
The dried fruit is spherical, 3–5 mm, pale brown, with longitudinal ridges. Cumin is longer and boat-shaped. Do not identify a powder by colour.
Kew accepts the species. A bunch with roots still on from a Tamil market and a jar of Indian coriander seed can be the same annual at different ages.
Bolted plants taste sharper in the leaf. That is a garden fact. The fruit that follows is still this spice.
Ground coriander stale-dates faster than whole fruit. A mill that will show you a whole ball is the adult path.
A market bunch should smell green, not of onion from the neighbouring heap. Roots still attached last a day longer in a glass of water. That is cookery, not a monograph, and it is how you tell a living kothamalli from a tired import.
Split a dried fruit: two mericarps. That split is the umbellifer mark. A perfectly round powder particle has already lost it.
Traditional use of Kothamalli
South Asian food
Leaf is a fresh herb; fruit is a warm spice. Both are cuisine.
Tamil, Hindi and wider kitchen practice
Ayurveda
Dhānyaka is a fruit in those lists. Historical cooling headings are not a modern claim.
Ayurvedic headings
Modern notes on Kothamalli
Linalool dominates many fruit oils; the leaf has a different mix, including the aldehydes some people read as soap. That is chemistry, not a slogan.
The practical modern issue is tired powder and bunches sold as kothamalli that are parsley.
Parsley is Petroselinum, a flatter, less citrus leaf. If the bunch does not smell of kothamalli, it is not coriander.
Kothamalli safety
Leaf and fruit as food are the ordinary exposure. Essential oil is not a chutney.
Umbellifer allergies exist. People who react to other Apiaceae should be cautious.
Ecology and sourcing
It is an annual crop. Leaf harvest and seed harvest are different timings of the same field.
Related plants
Also in Apiaceae
Questions about Kothamalli
Are coriander and cilantro different plants?
No. Cilantro is an English name for the leaf of Coriandrum sativum. Coriander often means the dried fruit. Same species.
What is the Tamil name of Coriandrum sativum?
Kothamalli.
Sources
- Coriandrum sativum L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q41611 (Coriandrum sativum)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.