Lemon coriander chicken curry is one of the very first curries I ever learned to cook. I cook dozens of curries now but this one is special to me.
It’s different. Not a run of the mill curry. The sauce is on the runny side. No onion at all. Not what you’d expect. But so good.
Lemon coriander chicken curry is Indian comfort food
It’s homestyle Indian cooking. Like somebody’s mom used to make. It makes me smile every time I make it.
This recipe is a spin on Madhur Jaffrey’s lemon coriander chicken curry. More green chili and a heavier hand on the spices are the big differences.
I’ve also added a bit of cinnamon stick – adds a nice haunting background flavour. This recipe definitely works better with dark meat. And it’s best with chicken on the bone.
The spices are straight forward. Coriander and cumin powder, turmeric and chili powder. I use Kashmiri mild chili powder. It’s well worth seeking out if you cook a lot of Indian.
You can substitute cayenne but be sure to use half as much. Cayenne is a lot hotter than Kashmiri mild.
The juices from the chicken make the sauce
When you start cooking the curry it will seem a bit dry. Don’t flinch. The chicken releases natural juices. Too much liquid up front and the curry will be too thin.
Keep the pot covered and have faith. It works. And it’s delicious.
This is a family style curry. Not like you get in a restaurant. Homey. Whole chicken pieces. A thinner sauce. But a super flavourful sauce. This one isn’t fancy. It isn’t ever going to be on a menu on a restaurant.
It’s a curry for when you want clean tastes. But big tastes. I’ve jacked it up a bit from the original recipe and it has become one of my absolute go to Indian curries.
Lemon coriander chicken curry. When you want something different. When you just want something tasty. Indian comfort food at it’s finest.
lemon coriander chicken curry
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken on the bone, skinned
- 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
- 4 green finger hot chilies seeded and diced (or 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced)
- 1 Tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 piece of cinnamon bark
- 2 cups chopped cilantro leaves and stems no roots
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot large enough to hold all the chicken. Dry the chicken with paper towel. Working in batches, brown all the chicken over moderately high heat. Don't over crowd the pan and let the chicken cook long enough to release naturally. This helps avoid sticking problems.
- Remove the chicken and drain off all but 3 Tbsp of oil.
- Make sure your heat is set to medium. Add the cinnamon stick. Let it cook about 20 seconds (you want to see little bubbles forming around it).
- Next, stir in the garlic ginger paste until it stops sizzling, about 30 seconds.
- Now add the green chilies and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add the spices (coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt) and cook 15-20 seconds
- Mix in the chopped cilantro. Cook, stirring constantly for another 30-45 seconds.
- Add the lemon juice and the chicken stock or water.
- Return the chicken and accumulated juices, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through - about 15 minutes.
Tried the recipe. Was very good. Incidentally you do not mention as to when to add the cinnamon bark.
That’s great to hear. It’s one of my all time favourites and it doesn’t seem to get the attention on glebekitchen I wish it would.
Thanks for pointing out the cinnamon stick. Appreciate that!
I want to make this! Lemon and coriander are two of my most favorite flavors. If I was going to make it with vegetables or paneer, how would I compensate for the lack of liquid from the chicken?
Thanks so much.
You could add a little water or vegetable stock. Maybe a few tablespoons to start but keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to dry out/burn. Add more as needed. Depending on the vegetables you want to use maybe adjust the liquid. This is a little bit runny curry so perhaps try to get a feel for what it is supposed to look like in the pictures?
Good luck.
This sounds absolutely delicious and so flavourful! If I were to make my own garlic ginger paste (I have loads of the fresh stuff at home), would you recommend equal parts garlic and ginger with some oil? Thanks! Pinning now too!
Marie – equal parts of garlic and ginger, some oil, salt to preserve it and a bit of water to get it to puree. I’ve added a link. Thanks for catching that.
Yum!! This looks so good, Romain! I’m not a fan of cilantro, but I feel like I like there’s so many other great spices in here that I could omit it and it would still taste amazing! Or maybe replace it with something like Thai basil? Can’t wait to try this and experiment with different herbs! Thanks for sharing!
Let me know what you come up with! I think it’s great that you want to experiment with this recipe.
That color is amazing, just looking at it you know this is going to be so flavorful! I like how you amped up the spices and I’m sure the lemon brightens up everything. I’ll have to try this one!
More spice! More better!
Dark meat is my favorite and chicken legs are so versatile. I’m excited to try this different variation on curry, pinning for later!
I don’t understand the fascination with white meat myself. I’ll take dark meat every time.
Madhur Jaffrey’s cookbook ‘An Introduction to Indian Cooking’ was the first cookbook I got many years ago and still have it. I remember this recipe! Nice job, great recipe.
That book is how I learned to cook Indian. It’s out of print – don’t ever let it go…
Bone in meat is so much more flavourful too! I have never had success using coriander before because of the heavy floral flavour but the lemon in this makes so much sense! I definitely need to try this out and give coriander another try! Done in 40 mins? I’m sold right there.
Lemon and coriander in a curry – I would have never guessed! I can tell it’s gonna taste awesome just by looking at the picture, lol