The word “Gondhoraj” translated, simply means king of fragrance. Gondhoraj lemon is the special ingredient in this recipe. This particular lemon is predominantly found in West Bengal but quickly becoming popular in other parts of India. I was pleasantly surprised to find it on the Blinkit catalogue and it turned out to be really good. This fragrant lemon has been used in Bengali kitchens as an ingredient to dishes and also served on the plate to be squeezed into the food as per the individuals choice and taste.
The dish visually looks a bit toned down and plain to the eyes but the taste more than makes up for the lack of eye appeal. The combination of Gondhoraj lemon with chilli is a marriage made by the food gods. You simply can’t go wrong with this assortment. This is an easy and quick recipe. Other than the Gondhoraj lemon, the other ingredients are pretty straight forward and easily available. Most Bengalis would like to team this with Luchi or steamed rice but I feel this dish would go equally well with parathas and appams. I wanted to share this recipe post the Navratri period since it can be a nice non-vegetarian dish for those who would like to try something different.
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The Fragrance of Bengal
Ingredients
- 800 gms Chicken
- 1 Tbsp Ginger paste
- 1 Tbsp Garlic paste
- ½ Tsp green Chilli paste or 1 tsp finely chopped green Chillies
- 4 Tbsp heaped, thick Curd or Yoghurt
- 2 Tbsp Gondhoraj Lemon juice
- 2–3 Tbsp Oil (or Ghee)
- 1–2 Bay leaves
- 2 dry whole Red Chillies
- 10–12 whole Black Peppercorns
- 2 medium sized Onion, grated to a fine paste or finely chopped
- ¾ Tsp Coriander powder
- ¾ Tsp Cumin powder
- ½ Tsp Garam Masala powder
- 1 Tbsp Ghee
- 1 Tsp Sugar (to balance the taste)
- 5–6 Kaffir lime leaves
- Salt according to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken. Marinate it with the ginger paste, garlic paste, yogurt, green chilli paste, Gondhoraj lemon juice and salt. Keep aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, temper with bay leaves, dry red chillies and the whole black peppercorns. Add in the onion paste. Sauté till the raw smell goes away and turns light golden brown in colour.
- Next, add in the marinated chicken along with the coriander powder and the cumin powder. Stir well cover and cook over medium-low heat. Cook for about 18-20 mins, stirring the chicken at regular intervals. While cooking, if the chicken starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, you may add ½ cup of hot water to it.
- Once the chicken is almost cooked, add the ghee, sugar, garam masala powder, kaffir lime leaves. You may add some more of the Gondhoraj lemon juice if you want out here. Do taste the gravy and add according to your preference.
- Cook for another few minutes until the chicken is fully done and is cooked through. Turn off the heat. Serve with steamed rice, luchis, parathas or even appams!
Notes
You may also add a bit of finely grated lemon rind at the very end of the cooking, just before switching off the flame. This will ensure a flavour burst of the Gondhoraj lemon. However, this is purely optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
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