Lemon chicken refers to a dish that is made by mixing chicken with lots of tangy flavours like lemon, orange juice, black pepper etc. It usually comprises sautéed or battered pieces of chicken meat that are deep-fried and coated with a thick, sweet lemon-flavoured sauce. This dish has a tangy and tart strong flavour that kicks the right spots on your taste buds. Lemon chicken can be made in various forms. In Australia lemon chicken is made by coating the chicken in batter, frying it, and then topping it with a lemon sauce. In Italy and Greece, Lemon chicken (Pollo al Limone) is a whole chicken that is pan-roasted with white wine, lemon juice, fresh thyme, and mirepoix. In India, the dish can be made Indo-Chinese way or Punjabi style. The Punjabi style lemon chicken usually involves cooking chicken with lemon, and sugarcane juice and giving it a smokey grilled flavour. Sometimes you crave something exotic for dinner, that's not too heavy and complicated to make. Lemon chicken is a perfect option to be eaten for dinner. It has the right blend of all the flavours that satiate all kinds of cravings. A plate of lemon chicken with your favourite drink is all you need for a perfect exotic dinner!
Here's how you can make Punjabi Lemon Chicken at home:
Ingredients
- 6 Skinless Chicken thighs
For the base
- Refined oil
- Cumin seeds
- Onions julienned
- 6 chopped garlic cloves
- 1/2 inch chopped ginger
- Green chillies
- Turmeric powder
- Coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice- 1 cup
- Orange juice- 1/2 cup
- Fresh sugarcane juice
- Fresh Coriander
Source: iStock
- Heat a heavy cooking vessel over high heat, then add the refined oil and swirl the pan to evenly cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until they are aromatic and cracking.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and cook by stirring occasionally, until they turn into a light golden brown colour. Increase the heat before adding the powdered spices.
- On high flame, roast the spices until they are fragrant and nicely toasted. Then add a little water and cook the base ingredients until the oil comes to the top and the masala is completely cooked out.
- Put some salt and the chicken thighs into the pan, and mix well. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry the chicken in the masala until it is evenly covered in the base's flavour and a light yellowy golden brown colour.
- Add the lemon and orange juice to the chicken and scrape off the flavorful pan deposits on the bottom of the pan to deglaze the pan.
- To balance the acidity of the lemon juice, add a little sugarcane juice and stir everything up carefully.
- Bring the chicken to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
- When the chicken is done, cover the pan and cook the gravy until it is slightly reduced and flavorful. Remove from the flame and serve with hot rotis or rice, garnished with fresh coriander.
Tips
- You can skip sugarcane juice if you want a more tangy flavour.
- You can add black pepper to the recipe for an enhanced flavour.
- Serve it with mint chutney and wait for the magic to happen!