LEMON-CILANTRO CHICKEN

A friend of mine taught me how to make this mouth-watering Lemon cilantro chicken dish. She served it to me for dinner one evening, and it was so delicious that I asked her for the recipe and made it the very next weekend.


When you first bite into this Lemon Cilantro Chicken you will discover an intricate burst of flavor explosion in your mouth- so I thought the dish would consist of numerous different ingredients and be fairly time consuming to prepare. However, when she told me the method, I couldn't believe that this tasty chicken could be so simple to make! I have changed the recipe to make the dish healthier. My friend told me that she browned/fried the chicken in butter ahead of time. I tried leaving out this step, and the result was just as good, if not as rich in flavor. My family thinks that left-overs next day are even tastier!


LEMON-CILANTRO CHICKEN
Serves 4
1 whole medium sized chicken cut into medium pieces, or 8 drumsticks - cleaned and deskinned.
3-4 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 " piece of ginger minced

4-5 green chillis (to taste)
1 cup of water or chicken stock-if needed (helps to the cook of the chicken, and add gravy)

1 tbsp Cumin Powder

1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp crushed coriander

2-3 cups of cilantro, chopped

The juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate the chicken in turmeric, ginger paste and salt for at least 2 hours. Add oil to a wok, and heat over a medium flame. Add the minced ginger, chillis, coriander powder, cumin powder and onions (if using). Fry for a few minutes. Add the marinated chicken, and fry for a few minutes, until the meat is no longer pink. Add water or stock, and cook until chicken is almost done. Add all the chopped cilantro, mix well, and cook for a few more minutes, 'till chicken is tender. Pour the juice of 1-2 freshly squeezed lemon over the dish (to taste). Serve with rice or Pasta

Authors Note:
I do skip the marinating when I am in a hurry, and it still tastes great, but marination for a couple of hours will yield a superior flavor. If you do not have time to marinate, then omit the ginger paste. I have used store bought lemon juice in this dish, with good results too. As a variation try replacing 1 cup of cilantro with chopped mint to make mint-cilantro chicken.