Rinku Dutt’s Coriander Chicken

Adapted from Kolkata: Recipes from the Heart of Bengal, by Rinku Dutt.

This gorgeously spiced dish gets its start by marinating chicken thighs in a paste of yogurt, cilantro, garlic, ginger and chiles. After that, it’s simple to put together; more spices get layered in as the chicken cooks on top of the stove. The recipe calls for a karai (or kadhai), an Indian wok, or a Chinese wok. We tested it in a wok, and it seems a slope-sided skillet or sauté pan, or one like this, would work fine as well.

Read: Cookbooks We Love: The flavors of India’s cultural capital shine in ‘Kolkata’

“The dish is popular in many parts of India,” writes author Dutt in her headnote, “and every family has their own recipe.” She remembers her grandmother making it for family holidays, and serving it with aloo’r porota (flatbread filled with potatoes) and tomato chutney.

Dutt calls for marinating the chicken at least two hours or preferably overnight; we tested it by marinating overnight, and the flavor was outstanding. She recommends serving it with Tomato Aar Pruner Chutney and either Aloo’r Porota or Roti (recipes included in the book), along with basmati rice.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs

Juice of half a lemon

Salt

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped, with a few leaves reserved for garnish

2 to 3 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt

4 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

2 serrano chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons ghee

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

5 cloves

5 black peppercorns

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

1. Score each chicken thigh twice diagonally, about 5 mm (1/4 inch) deep, on both sides. Lay them flat on a tray that can fit in the fridge, such as a quarter-sheet pan. Pour the lemon juice over them and sprikle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

2. Place the cilantro, 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, the garlic, ginger, serranos, canola oil and another 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and blitz it to a thick, smooth paste. Add a little more yogurt if necessary to get it to come together. Scrape the paste over the chicken pieces and use your hands to ensure each piece is generously coated. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least two hours, over overnight.

3. When the chicken is marinated and you’re ready to cook, bring the chicken back to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat a karai or wok that has a lid over medium heat and add the ghee. Allow to melt, taking care not to burn it, then add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns. Cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin seeds. After 30 seconds, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they become translucent (about 5-6 minutes), then add the sugar and cook until the onions are light brown and caramelized, a few more minutes. Add the marinated chicken and any accumulated juices and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to bubble. Stir in the ground coriander and cumin, and cook 4 more minutes.

4. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook another 14 minutes, till the chicken is cooked through, stirring a few times to ensure nothing sticks to the base of the pan. Remove the lid and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. If there’s lots of liquid, increase the heat to high and allow it to evaporate until a thick sauce has formed and coats the chicken. If it’s too dry, stir in a few tablespoons of water. Sprinkle the reserved cilantro leaves over the chicken and cover until ready to serve.