Coriander Chilli Chicken

One of advantages of living away from home is meeting new people and learning about new cultures. One gets out of their comfort zone and (literally) tastes what the world has to offer. My cousin moved to Bangalore more than a decade ago and as a result has friends from all over India thanks to it being a cosmopolitan city that attracts talent (particularly in Information Technology sector) from all over the country. Now, I’ve told you about her flair with non vegetarian recipes earlier but turns out her friends are super talented too. One such friend who’s from Hubli (in Karnataka) is an exceptional home-cook and a mother of two. Luckily for us, she never hesitates to share her recipes! This Coriander Chilli Chicken was one of them.

And thanks to that, my sister recently shared one of her friend’s Chicken recipes with me which she claimed was super tasty and surprisingly easy to prepare. I wasn’t too convinced at first because it sounded too simple, but then I tried it and yes, it definitely is one of the yummiest chicken recipes I have ever had. And yes, it does not require chef like skills and expertise.

I kid you not!

It is super easy to prepare and is quick too!!

Green goodness

Not just that, it looks beautiful and is great for impressing guests at your next dinner party!
Let’s get started already now!

Prep Time: 15 mins; Active Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

700 grams-1 kg chicken (I used chicken on the bone)
2 bunches of Fresh Coriander leaves
6-7 Green Chillis (adjust according to your taste but I recommend at least 5!)
1 big clove of Garlic (optional)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
Juice of 1 Lemon- divided
2-3 tbsp Cooking Oil (I used Sunflower oil here)
Water for boiling

Method

Place the chicken in a pressure cooker and cover it with water till the level where all the chicken pieces are submerged. Add turmeric powder, half of the lemon juice and salt. Cover and cook for 3-4 whistles.

If you are not using a pressure cooker, cook the chicken in a large stock pot. Bring it to a boil first and then let it simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes and stop cooking till the chicken is not pink.

Preparing the Green curry

Meanwhile, clean the coriander bunches and wash it in cold water to remove all dirt and wilted leaves and stems, if any.

Transfer the cleaned coriander (with the stems) and the green chillies (roughly chopped)  and garlic (if using) in a food processor of mixie and process till a smooth paste is formed. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to process this.

Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, open and take out the chicken pieces. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the cooking water from the chicken for use later.

(Note: I haven’t yet found any use for the water from the boiled chicken yet; if you have, let me know in the comments below!)

Heat the oil in a big kadhai.

Add the Coriander-chilli paste. There will be splutters and some sizzling, so be careful!

Stir the paste into the oil and cook this for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat.

Next, add the boiled chicken and some salt to season. Add the reserved water from the boiled chicken at this stage.

Coat the chicken by stirring in the kadhai and cook for another 7-10 minutes until you see the oil separate on the sides. The oil on the sides should be your indication to remove the chicken from the heat.
Add the remainder juice of the lemon on top and mix gently.

Serve this Coriander Chilli Chicken with hot chapatis, parathas or naan!

Have you tried our Three Ingredient Chicken Recipe yet?

Print Recipe

Coriander Chilli Chicken

A simple and quick Chicken dish made using Coriander leaves and chillies. Perfect for weeknight dinners or even impressing guests without any fuss!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Andhra Chili Chicken, Coriander Chilli Chicken, Dhaniya Chicken, Green Chilli Chicken

Servings: 2 people

Author: Sakshi Kapoor

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker (optional)

Ingredients

• 700 grams Chicken, with or without bone (Use 700g to 1 kg)
• 2 bunches Fresh Coriander leaves (Dhaniya) around 250-350 grams
• 6-7 Green Chillies, hot (Mirchi) Adjust according to taste, but at least 5 recommended
• 1 big clove Garlic (Lassan) Optional
• Salt to taste (I used around 2-3 teaspoons table salt)
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• Lime Juice from 1 Lime (divided)
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• Water for boiling

Instructions

• Place the chicken in a pressure cooker and cover it with water till the level where all the chicken pieces are submerged. Add turmeric powder, half of the lime juice and salt. Cover and cook for 3-4 whistles.

  Alternatively, if you do not have a pressure cooker, Cover chicken with water in a large stock pot, add turmeric, salt, lime juice and let it come to a boil. Once boiled, let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or till the chicken does not look pink.
• Meanwhile, clean the coriander bunches and wash it in cold water to remove all dirt and wilted leaves and stems, if any.
• Transfer the cleaned coriander (with the stems) and the green chillies (roughly chopped) and garlic (if using) in a food processor, mixie or blender and process till a smooth paste is formed. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to process this.
• Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, open and take out the chicken pieces.
• Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the cooking water from the chicken for use later.
• Next, heat the oil in a big kadhai on medium heat.
• Add the Coriander-chilli paste. There will be splutters and some sizzling, so be careful!
• Stir the paste into the oil and cook this for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat.
• Next, add the boiled chicken and some salt to season. Add the reserved water from the boiled chicken at this stage.
• Coat the chicken by stirring in the kadhai and cook for another 7-10 minutes until you see the oil separate on the sides. The oil on the sides should be your indication to remove the chicken from the heat.
• Add the remainder juice of the lemon on top and mix gently.
• Serve this Coriander Chilli Chicken with hot chapatis, parathas, naan or steamed rice!

Notes

This Coriander Chilli Chicken is great the next day as the flavours seep into the chicken.