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I can't remember where I first came across this recipe for Turmeric Chicken With Sumac and Lime, but I can tell you it was a LIFE CHANGING DAY! I was delighted to be able to bring a taste of Persian cooking into my own kitchen.
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes, and makes for an elegant and easy dinner. I'm super excited to tell you all about this delicious recipe!
The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia
The recipe for Turmeric Chicken With Sumac and Lime is from the cookbook The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia. Ms. Shafia is a chef, recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is of Iranian heritage, and her book The New Persian Kitchen is full of Persian recipes developed with a contemporary take on this amazing cuisine.
You must visit Ms. Shafia's shop, Feast by Louisa! Her shop features signed copies of her cookbooks "The New Persian Kitchen" and "Lucid Food," as well as an amazing Persian Spice Kit, and Rice Bonnet, which will help you achieve the PERFECT Persian rice!
Ingredients
You only need a very few ingredients to produce this scrumptious dish, as you will see in the picture above. All you need is:
- Bone-in chicken thighs
- Garlic
- Lime
- Turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt
- Black Pepper
- Water
- Grapeseed oil (you can sub olive oil)
- Sumac for garnish
You should be able to find most of these ingredients at your local grocery store.
What is Sumac?
Sumac is widely used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. The sumac bush is native to the Middle East. It produces deep red berries, which are dried and then ground to a powder. It's often part of another Middle Eastern spice called Za'atar. Za'atar is one of the foods in my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project and you can read about it here.
The taste of sumac is somewhat sour, like lemon, and it has a beautiful dark red color as you can see in the picture above. In the Turmeric Chicken With Sumac And Lime, the sumac is strictly used as a garnish. I urge you to experiment with pairing sumac with fish, lamb, and vegetables as well!
For convenience, I included a link to purchase sumac from Amazon here. Otherwise you may be able to find this amazing spice at major grocery stores or a Middle Eastern market if you have access to one.
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric (and especially curcumin which is its most active compound) also has many health benefits associated with it! There is also a great article, again from Healthline.com, called "10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin" which is really fascinating and worth reading. So in addition to enjoying a delicious dish, you can also reap some of the rewards from consuming this great spice!
Easy Instructions
It's incredibly easy to make this wonderful Turmeric Chicken recipe. The prep time is about 5 minutes and the cooking time is around 45 minutes.
Begin by mixing the turmeric with 1 ts salt and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small bowl. These 3 spices make for a fantastic spice combination!
Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet or plate and sprinkle with the spice mixture, turning to coat both sides. Look at the beautiful golden hue that the turmeric imparts to this chicken!
Next heat a large frying pan or large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Pour in the water, then add the garlic, stirring it into the water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover. Braise the chicken for 25 minutes, until the inside is opaque.
Try to aim for an internal temperature of around 175F to 180F reading on a meat thermometer which should give you tender and juicy thigh meat.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, turn up the heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid for a few minutes (around 2-3 minutes), stirring occasionally until it’s slightly thickened.
Season to taste with extra salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Now dust with sumac and serve with juicy limes!
You MUST Try This Wonderful Persian Dish!
To conclude, you absolutely MUST try this Persian sumac chicken dish! It produces a flavor so incredible you'll be craving it again and again! Serve this succulent and aromatic dish with white rice, or Persian rice for an amazing dining experience. And of course take the time to squeeze the lime juice from your juicy limes all over the chicken before eating!
This recipe will show you that you can bring a taste of Iran to your home! Super simple and absolutely delicious, I believe your whole family will be craving it!
Enjoy!!!
FAQ
Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in your refrigerator. This is best consumed within 2 days of preparing it.
In the event turmeric stains your clothes or other items, please refer to this informative article from BHG.com: "How to Remove Turmeric Stains from Household Items." It has all the info you will need!
Thank You To Louisa Shafia!
Last but certainly not least, I cannot tell you how thrilled I was when Louisa Shafia gave me permission to publish this recipe! It's been such a favorite of mine, I'm absolutely over the moon to be able to share it here and with as many people as I can!
You can view www.LouisaShafia.com for more information on Ms. Shafia, additional recipes, and also details on her cooking classes. It would be such a dream for me to attend one of her classes one day!
Thank you Louisa Shafia and may all the best be yours!!!
Other Easy Recipes You May Enjoy
Classic Filipino Chicken Adobo
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Cheers!
Grace
Turmeric Chicken With Sumac and Lime
Ingredients
- 1 ts ground turmeric
- 1 ts sea salt or Pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 ts pepper
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil can sub olive oil
- ¾ cup water
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 limes juicy and halved!
- sumac for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the turmeric with 1 ts salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet or plate and sprinkle with the spice mixture, turning to coat both sides.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Pour in the water, then add the garlic, stirring it into the water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover. Braise the chicken for 25 minutes, until the inside is opaque.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, turn up the heat to high, and reduce the cooking liquid for a few minutes (around 2-3 minutes), stirring occasionally until it’s slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Dust the chicken with sumac and pepper, garnish with lime halves, and serve.
April Lewis
This recipe was so delicious 😋 I made it twice within 1 week already! My husband thought I had put too much Tumeric but I thought it was perfect. perfect! One of my favorite chicken dishes!
Eden Macinnes
We made this last week and it was so good. My family devoured it. Will make it again. It’s a very simple recipe, so easy to make . Definitely on my list to serve when I have company. Already shared the recipe to my daughter and brother.
Grace
Hi Eden! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and most importantly I'm super happy that your family loved this dish! Thank you also for sharing with your daughter and brother! Take care! Grace