A Taste of Classic Bengali Home Cooking

Dhonepata (Cilantro) Chicken

The flavors I miss the most from Kolkata aren’t complicated or fancy. They’re the simple and comforting flavors of home cooked dishes that you can’t find in restaurants. This dish encapsulates everything I love about Bengali home cooking.

This dish is a family favorite and was featured at my wedding in Kolkata. I am attempting to recreate those flavors. The green color of this dish is due to the addition of a fresh paste of cilantro and green chilies.

Here are some tips to preserve the green color and fresh flavor of the paste:

1. Make and add the paste at the end of the cooking process. This is the last thing I add to the recipe. I only cook it for 1-2 minutes before turning the heat off.

2. Use ice water: In order to counteract the heat produced by blender which tends to oxidize the paste, use ice cubes or ice water.

3. Add lime juice: The addition of acid helps prevent oxidation and preserves the green color.

The Story Behind the Dish

This is quintessential Bengali home cooking. It has minimal spices, it can be cooked in one pan and it utilizes the flavors from fresh ingredients which is characteristic of the region.

This dish varies from household to household. This is the version I love. In my Kolkata home, this dish was a weeknight staple and I still remember the fresh, herbal aroma of the cilantro and green chilies that revealed to me what we were eating for dinner that night.

Key Technique

While there are several techniques in this recipe that are the building blocks of Indian cooking, the one that is the most important is the temperature you cook it at.

Since this dish uses minimal ingredients, we want to maximize the flavors of every ingredient. Therefore, we do not add any additional water to the chicken. The key is to cook the chicken at low-medium temperatures, covered so it can cook in it’s own juices.

• Covering it traps the steam which them condenses to form the base of the sauce.

• Cooking it on low heat allows it to stew and release moisture rather than sauté and get a sear.

This dish is best enjoyed with some warm, plain rice but you could also serve with roti. This is unlike any restaurant dish and it instantly transports me back to Kolkata so I hope you make it and let me know in the comments what you think of the flavors.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp neutral oil like Avocado

2. 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 1.5 inch chunks

3. 1 bunch cilantro

4. 5 green chilies ( I used Thai chilies)

5. Juice from 1/4 lime

6. 8 cashews, soaked in warm water and made into a paste

7. 1/2 red onion, diced

8. 6 cloves garlic, paste

9. 1 inch ginger, paste

10. 5 green cardamoms

11. 3 cloves

12. 1/2 tsp turmeric

13. 1.5 tsp cumin powder

14. 3 tsp coriander powder

15. 1 tsp black pepper powder

16. Salt

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with salt and turmeric while you prep the other ingredients.

2. Dice the onion and make the ginger, garlic and cashew pastes.

3. Add the oil to a pan and let it heat up on medium. Add the green cardamom and cloves and let them get fragrant (~30 seconds).

4. Add in the diced onions and a little bit of salt and cook till the onions are translucent.

5. Now add in the marinated chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

6. Now add in the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté for 3-4 more minutes before covering the pan and letting it cook.

7. The chicken will release moisture. Once that has happened, add in the cumin and coriander powders and mix well.

8. Add in the cashew paste, cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

9. In the meantime, make the green paste by blending the cilantro, green chilies and lime with ice.

10. Now add in the black pepper powder and mix.

11. Add the green paste and cook on high for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.

12. Serve with warm plain rice or roti.