Gondhoraj Murgi, also known as Bengali Lebu Lonka Murgi, is a fragrant chicken curry. It's flavored with gondhoraj lime juice, lime leaves, and lime zest, along with green chilies, all in a delicate gravy made with coconut milk. The best part is that this signature Bengali chicken recipe, a favorite in Bengali specialty restaurants, takes only 30 minutes to cook.
If you're looking for another Bengali chicken curry recipe, especially one featuring green chilies, you might enjoy my Kancha Lonka Murgi. I've shared several Bengali chicken recipes because I cook them frequently at home. They are easy to make, and more importantly, my family and I love them. This includes dishes like the simple Robibarer Murgir Jhol, the perfect Chicken Kosha, Boot-er Dal Murgi, Aam Kasundi Murgi, and of course, Doi Chicken.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note
- Here's why this gondhoraj chicken curry recipe is one of my favorites
- Ingredients you will need
- How to cook this Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi - Recipe Steps
- Substitutions and Variations
- Storage
- Top tip
- Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi - Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Recipes
- Pairing Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi
- Recipe Card
- Have you tried the Bengali Gondhoraj Murgi recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Bengali Lebu Lonka Murgi recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note
You'll find Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi in almost every Bengali specialty restaurant. This recipe is surprisingly easy, and what makes it a perfect chicken curry is the subtle flavor from the different parts of the gondhoraj lime used. There are a few tricks to ensure the curry doesn't turn bitter, as improper handling of the gondhoraj lemon can indeed make the food bitter.
At home, this Lebu Lonka Murgi recipe is a family favorite during the summer months. This is thanks to the subtle flavor of the gondhoraj lime, the freshness of green chilies, and the richness of coconut milk. By the way, I don't use yogurt or sour curd in this chicken recipe, unlike the one shared by others.
Here's why this gondhoraj chicken curry recipe is one of my favorites
- It's easy to cook.
- It's incredibly flavorful; imagine the wonderful smells of gondhoraj lemon, lemon leaves, green chilies, and coconut milk rising from the chicken curry.
- It's very light to eat. You won't feel heavy, even if you eat a little extra rice with this gondhoraj chicken.
- It's healthy, considering its ingredients.
- It provides good protein.
- Ultimately, it's the perfect comfort food-a truly comforting chicken curry.
Ingredients you will need
The ingredients list is quite simple. Well, apart from Lebu pata or lime leaves at times. In Kolkata, I get both gondhoraj lebu pata or the alternative - kaffir lime leaves available, though.
- Chicken - curry cut with bone
- Gondhoraj Lebu / lime
- Lebu pata or lime leaves
- Green Chilies
- Ginger paste
- Garlic paste
- Coconut milk
- Mace
- Green Cardamom
- Cinnamon Stick
- Salt
- Unflavored Vegetable Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
How to cook this Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi - Recipe Steps
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To begin, you'll need bone-in chicken for this recipe, ideally curry-cut and skinless. Make sure to wash and pat the chicken pieces dry before you start cooking.
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First, marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a bowl. Next, use a grater or peeler to remove only the green outer peel from a Gondhoraj lime, being careful to avoid the bitter white part. Add this lemon zest to the chicken; for 1 kg of chicken, you'll need the zest from at least one large lime. Also, squeeze in the juice from one Gondhoraj lime.
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Finally, add 1 teaspoon of salt along with 1 tablespoon ginger paste and 1 tablespoon garlic paste, and mix everything together thoroughly.
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Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
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Heat 3 tablespoon unflavored vegetable oil in a deep pan.
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Season the hot oil with one piece of mace, two to three green cardamoms, and one cinnamon stick. Avoid using too many whole spices, as this recipe highlights the distinct flavor of the lime.
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Then, add the marinated chicken to the pan, including any liquid from the marinade.
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Finally, slit six to seven green chilies down the middle and add them to the chicken. Wash 5-6 lime leaves, tear them into pieces, and add them to the chicken.
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Mix everything well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. The chicken will release sufficient moisture by then.
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Next, pour in 200ml of coconut milk and check if you need to add more salt.
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Cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
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By now, the chicken should be almost fully cooked. I added an extra tablespoon of lime juice to enhance the flavor.
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For an even richer taste, I also included some green chilies and more lime leaves.
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Stir everything together and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
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You'll notice the chicken is perfectly cooked with a light gravy. I recommend keeping the curry from becoming too thick. If needed, you can add half a cup of hot water when you're adding the coconut milk. Once finished, cover the pot and let the Gandhoraj chicken curry, also known as lebu lonka murgi, rest for 15 minutes before serving so the flavors can fully develop. This delicious curry is best enjoyed with hot steamed rice.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken - For this recipe, you'll need bone-in chicken, ideally curry-cut and skinless. Make sure to wash and pat the chicken dry before cooking.
- Lime and Lime Leaves - This dish, called Gandhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi, absolutely requires Gandhoraj lime and lime leaves. If these are hard to find, kaffir lime and kaffir lime leaves are a great substitute. For the lime leaves, simply tear them and add them into pieces.
- Lime Zest - When zesting the lime, be careful to only grate the green outer skin, avoiding the bitter white part underneath.
- Coconut Milk - I used store-bought coconut milk, but feel free to extract fresh milk from a medium-sized coconut if you prefer.
- Green Chilies - I used medium-hot green chilies, so adjust the quantity based on your preferred spice level and the type of chili you have.
- Oil as cooking medium - Also, I chose an unflavored vegetable oil for cooking because I wanted to avoid the strong taste and color that mustard oil would give, as Lebu Lonka Murgi is typically a pale, whitish dish.
- Sugar - Lastly, I didn't include sugar in this recipe because it wasn't necessary.
Storage
After cooking, you can store this Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one to two days. Before serving, take it out 30 minutes ahead of time and reheat it. Be careful not to reheat it too many times, as this will make the curry taste bitter.
Top tip
Even though making lime-flavored chicken curry might seem simple from the recipe, it can sometimes taste bitter. This bitterness comes from how you use the lime juice, lime zest, and lime leaves. These ingredients, whether you're using gondhoraj lime or kaffir lime as a substitute, are very versatile and add a lot of flavor. To avoid bitterness, only grate the green part of the lime peel for the zest, not the white part. When squeezing the lime, don't use too much juice. Finally, when adding the lime leaves, gently tear them before putting them in.
Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi - Frequently Asked Questions
I mentioned chilies, right? Yes, we use green chilies, but in a balanced way. So, don't worry, lemon chili chicken is not what you would call a super spicy curry.
I include coconut milk in this Gondhoraj Murgi recipe because, since lime is already used, I don't need the extra sourness that yogurt would add. Coconut milk makes it even more flavorful instead.
You could use kaffir lime and kaffir lime leaves, and call it "lebu lonka murgi," not "gondhoraj murgi." It will taste almost the same.
Why not? Fish, shrimp, and paneer or tofu all work well in this gravy.
Related Recipes
Looking for other comforting chicken curry recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi
Steamed rice works best as a companion to Gondhoraj murgi or lebu lonka murgi. However, you can pair it with light-flavored pulao as well. These are my favorite dishes to serve with the bengali lime flavored chicken curry:
Recipe Card
Gondhoraj Murgi Recipe | Bengali Lebu Lonka Chicken Curry
Equipment
- 1 pot with lid
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 grater
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken curry cut with bone
- 2 Gondhoraj Lebu / lime
- 10 Lebu pata or lime leaves
- 10 Green Chilies
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
- 200 ml Coconut milk
- 1 Mace
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1.5 tablespoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Vegetable oil unflavored
Instructions
- To begin, you'll need bone-in chicken for this recipe, preferably curry-cut chicken without the skin. Wash and pat the chicken pieces dry before cooking.
Marination
- First, marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a bowl.
- Next, using a grater or peeler, carefully remove only the green outer peel of a Gondhoraj Lebu (lime), making sure to avoid the bitter white part underneath. Add this lemon zest to the chicken. For one kilogram of chicken, you'll need the zest from at least one large lime.
- Also, add the juice from one Gondhoraj Lebu.
- Add 1 tablespoon ginger paste and 1 tablespoon garlic paste to it.
- Finally, add one teaspoon of salt and mix all the ingredients thoroughly with the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
Cooking Gondhoraj murgi or bengali lebu lonka chicken curry
- Heat 3 tablespoon unflavored vegetable oil in a deep pan.
- Temper the hot oil with one piece of mace, two to three green cardamoms, and one cinnamon stick. Be careful not to use too many whole spices, as this recipe focuses on the distinct flavors of the lime.
- Cook for a minute.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan, including any liquid from the marinade.
- Then, slit six to seven green chilies down the middle and add them to the chicken.
- For the curry, wash about 5-6 lime leaves, tear them into pieces, and add them to the chicken.
- Stir everything together and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Next, pour in 200ml of coconut milk and check if you need to add more salt.
- Cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
- At this point, the chicken should be almost done.
- I added an extra tablespoon of lime juice to enhance the flavor.
- For even more flavor, I also included some green chilies and additional lime leaves.
- Stir again and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
- You'll notice the chicken is perfectly cooked with a light gravy. I recommend not making the curry too thick. If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add ½ cup of hot water when you add the coconut milk.
- Once finished, cover the pot and let the Gondhoraj chicken curry, also known as lebu lonka murgi, sit for 15 minutes before serving so the flavors can blend.
- This dish is best enjoyed with hot steamed rice.
Notes
- For this recipe, you'll need bone-in chicken, ideally curry-cut and skinless. Make sure to wash and pat the chicken dry before cooking.
- This dish, called Gondhoraj Murgi or Lebu Lonka Murgi, absolutely requires Gondhoraj lime and lime leaves. If these are hard to find, kaffir lime and kaffir lime leaves are a great substitute.
- When zesting the lime, be careful to only grate the green outer skin, avoiding the bitter white part underneath.
- For the lime leaves, simply tear them and add them into pieces.
- I used store-bought coconut milk, but feel free to extract fresh milk from a medium-sized coconut if you prefer.
- I used medium-hot green chilies, so adjust the quantity based on your preferred spice level and the type of chili you have.
- Also, I chose an unflavored vegetable oil for cooking because I wanted to avoid the strong taste and color that mustard oil would give, as Lebu Lonka Murgi is typically a pale, whitish dish.
- Lastly, I didn't include sugar in this recipe because it wasn't necessary.
Nutrition
Have you tried the Bengali Gondhoraj Murgi recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Bengali Lebu Lonka Murgi recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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