Gondhoraj Lime Chicken

Gondhoraj Chicken is one of the best dishes I can think of using Gondhoraj — or king lime — leaves. It is the perfect gravy for a hot summer day. Gondhoraj is a speciality in Bengal with a very unique flavour and fragrance. I'm based in Germany, which means I can't get this lime anywhere near me but I have found a close substitute — Kaffir lime. I have a plant but dried leaves can be found at Asian stores. The plant barely produces fruit, even if, they are quite small, but the leaves do the magic. I use these leaves for cocktails, dal, gravies and more.

Ingredients

Chicken1 kg leg/thigh
Fresh green chillies2 paste
2 slit
Dried red chillies2-3
Whole black pepper10-15 corns
Ground black pepper1/2 tsp
Onions1/2 for marination, 1.5 for cooking paste
Garlic3-4 cloves paste
3 cloves chopped
Ginger3/4 inch paste
1/2 inch chopped
Yoghurt150 g
Lemon juice2 tbsp
Gondhoraj or king lime1 zest, juice
Gondhoraj leaves3-5 (optional)
Bay leaves2-3
Ghee3 tbsp
Saltas per taste
Sugar3-4 tsp
Gondhoraj Lime Chicken

Method

Marinate the chicken

  1. Make a paste of 2 onions. Reserve 3/4th of this for later. We're going to use the paste of only half an onion for marination.
  2. Make a paste of green chillies, garlic and ginger (quantity as per mentioned in ingredients for paste).
  3. Mix the two pastes with yoghurt, ground black pepper, lemon juice and some oil.
  4. Make some slits on the chicken pieces to help them soak the marinade better.
  5. Add the marinade to the chicken and massage the pieces well.
  6. Marinate for 2-6 hours in the fridge.

Cook

  1. Melt ghee in a big pan/pot and add the bay leaves, followed by whole black pepper corns and the slit green chillies. Fry this for around 30 seconds.
  2. Add chopped garlic and the dried red chillies.
  3. Once the garlic is slightly browned, add the chopped ginger and fry this for around 30 seconds.
  4. Add the rest of the onion paste and fry for around 5 minutes or until the raw smell of the onion fades.
  5. Add salt and sugar.
  6. Take the pan off heat and add the marinated chicken pieces.
  7. Fry everything very well until you see oil seeping through.
  8. Add half a cup of hot water, lemon juice and the gondhoraj lime zest and leaves and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
  9. Add the juice of gondhoraj lime and some more ghee and turn the heat off.
  10. Rest for a couple more minutes and then serve with hot rice.