Lemon Coriander Chicken

Lemon Coriander Chicken

This is one of my favorite dishes but also one of the hardest to photograph. The best photo setup would probably have the chicken in some kind of rustic clay pot or stoneware, surrounded by the lemon ginger sauce with a sprinkling of bright green cilantro and colorful ramekins containing chutney and raita on the side. Unfortunately, I don’t always have such luxuries at my disposal. But this doesn’t stop me from making amazingly delicious Indian food (and it shouldn’t stop you either).

Now that we are clear on what this dish should look like, the scrumptious details can be appreciated. Like much of the best Indian food I’ve had in my life, this recipe adaptation comes from from my step mother. Modified from recipes by Linda Fraser and Madhur Jaffrey (who is arguably the queen of popular Indian cooking), this tender chicken and spicy tart sauce packs so much flavor, I often find other chicken preparations boring or unsatisfactory by comparison. I prefer dark meat for this dish but chicken breasts work well too (reduce cooking times slightly for boneless meat or breasts). The chicken benefits from a powerful combination of garlic, ginger, chili pepper, lemon, and a go-to curry spice mix of ground coriander, turmeric, and ground cumin. Chopped fresh cilantro is stirred into the sauce right before serving the chicken over a mound of rice (optional). Homemade raita, a cooling cucumber yogurt mixture, and spicy chutney or pickle – my favorites are Swad coriander chutney and mango pickle (available at Indian grocery stores or Patel Bros) can be served on the side. Unlike the Indian food you are most likely accustomed to, there’s no heavy cream, it’s not overly oily, and the heat can be adjusted to your preference.

Although this is fairly different from the Indian recipes my grandmother has in “The Art of Good Cooking,” I think she would appreciate its authenticity. Always a fan of ethnic foods and considered a minimalist of her time, I imagine Paula Peck would be intrigued by the layers of flavor and what great leftovers this dish makes. As it sits, the spices blend together to make an even tastier, more flavorful sauce. This is the perfect affordable and healthy Sunday meal that can be eaten throughout the week.

Lemon Coriander Chicken

Yum

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