Recipe: Indian Chicken Cutlets (using ginger, chile and cilantro)

INDIAN CHICKEN CUTLETS

"British rule of India during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to a unique mingling of cuisines among the British ruling class and the Indian upper classes. Indian cooks who were employed by the English began adapting Indian food to Western palates, while upper-class Indians eagerly adapted fashionable British cookery, spicing it up to suit their own tastes. The result is a delicious jumble exemplified by these cutlets - a wholly Western idea infused with the heady aromas of ancient India.

The recipe is adapted from Madhur Jeffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking. It is not fundamentally different from a Milanese cutlet, but note that you will need to start preparing them a day ahead."

2 large whole boneless chicken breasts prepared for cutlets
3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
2 quarter-sized fresh ginger slices, roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 small fresh serrano, jalapeno, or cayenne chile, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups dry bread crumbs (preferably homemade)
Peanut, olive, or vegetable oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges (for serving)
Cilantro or parsley sprigs (for garnish)

Rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry. Set aside in a shallow nonreactive glass or stainless steel bowl.

In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, onion, chile, cilantro, and lemon juice. Add a healthy pinch of salt and a few light grindings of pepper. Cover and pulse at high speed until the mixture breaks down, then process on high until it is a smooth paste. You may have to stop the machine periodically and scrape down the sides.

Rub the paste over the chicken breasts, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight for as long as 24 hours.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

One at a time, lift the chicken breasts out of the marinating paste but don't shake off the excess. Dip the breast into the egg until it is coated, let the excess flow back into the bowl, then roll it in the crumbs, patting them carefully to form an even coating. Lay them on a clean, dry plate or wire rack for 15 minutes.

Put the remaining marinating paste in a covered saucepan, add a few spoonfuls of water to thin it to a thin sauce consistency, cover, and place it over medium-low heat. Simmer until the sauce is thick, but for at least 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

In a large cast-iron skillet that will hold all 4 cutlets at once without crowding, heat 1/2-inch oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot (sizzling when you dip the edge of a cutlet into it), add the cutlets and fry until the bottoms are browned, about 6 minutes. Turn carefully (the breading is fragile because of the marinade) and fry until the cutlets are uniformly golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes more.

Drain the chicken thoroughly and transfer to a warm platter. Scatter lemon wedges and cilantro or parsley among them and serve hot with the marinade sauce passed separately.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Fried Chicken by Damon Lee Fowler