Recipes

Gondhoraj Lebu Launka Murgi/ Bengali King Lime and Chilli Chicken Curry

The origin of this dish may be from the Bengali restaurant called Bhajohori Manna and later it made an entry into the everyday Bengali modern kitchen. We tried recreating the dish at home, succeeded and loved it! It may not be the most good-looking dish due to its pale colour but it sure is the most flavorful chicken curry I have ever tasted. The succulent chicken pieces are cooked in light and well-balanced broth infused with minimal spices and flavoured with fragrant Gondhoraj Lebu (king lime) and Lebu Pata (Lime Leaf).

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg Chicken (medium curry cut)
  • 400 gms Yogurt
  • 1.5 Cup Onion Paste
  • 3 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger (finely sliced)
  • 3 Tsp Dark Green Chilli Paste
  • 10-12 Lime Leaves
  • 4-5 Green Chillies (slit)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp Gondhoraj Lime Juice (you can also use regular lemon juice) 
  • 2 Tbsp Coriander Powder (freshly ground)
  • Salt to Taste
  • 2 Tsp Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 8 Green Cardamoms (discard the pods and powder the seeds)
  • 4 Bay Leaves

Preparation

Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes

  1. Using a mesh strainer, strain the onion paste and collect the juice in a bowl. Do not discard the onion paste residue. Keep aside in a separate bowl.
  2. Clean the chicken thoroughly and put in a large mixing bowl. Add in yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, onion juice, lemon juice, coriander powder, green chilli paste and 1 tsp of salt. Mix well and keep aside for a minimum of an hour.
  3. Heat oil in a non-stick deep-frying pan on medium flame. Once hot temper with bay leaves.
  4. Then add leftover onion paste, sauté on medium to low heat for a minute or until it turns light brown. Then add the finely sliced ginger and sauté for another minute.
  5. Now add the marinated chicken along with the marination. Mix well on low heat until well combined. Cover and cook on medium heat, stirring at regular intervals.
  6. When the chicken is half cooked, add lemon leaves, slit chillies, salt as per taste and 1/4 cup of hot water. Mix well, cover and cook on medium to low heat until done (this may take 20 minutes).
  7. Add sugar and cardamom powder at the end, mix and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot with paratha or sweet pulao.

Watch
Karishma Sen

As a travel writer, I was fortunate to have travelled to many countries and that allowed me to appreciate flavours from across the world. I grew up in a Bengali home, surrounded by a family of home cooks, eating food made by my Nana and watching my Amma and mom experiment with various flavours and ingredients so that every meal was truly special. Being a single parent, my mom has worked very hard to provide for me. While we may not agree on many things but the one thing that binds us is our love for good food. I have certainly absorbed my cooking skills from her. Thankfully married to a foodie and a food-loving family, I enjoy cooking for people - it brings me joy. Though the current pandemic has hit my industry too, I took this time to learn new cooking skills and techniques, which drove me to start a humble cake business. Through my recipes, I want to tell people that traditional cooking can be healthy and you don't need to eat just salads to lead a balanced life. I believe healthy eating is a balance of the good and the bad! I mean come on; little sugar can't be all that bad right. For me, the flavour is everything - natural flavours of ingredients and no substitutes. Food is close to my heart and my dream now is to excel as a cook and follow a career in the food industry.