Peppery Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken
Peppery Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken
Marinades and spice rubs can make or break meat grilled on the BBQ and there is no better place to look for inspiring flavours than the street food of SE Asia where vendors grill their skewered offerings over small smoky fires and sell them for a few loose coins.
Those humble vendors are masters of flavour balance, knowing the exact quantity of hot, sweet and salty ingredients to add to their marinade to balance out their secret blend of aromatic herbs and spices. Many have been in the business for decades, proof they know what they’re doing.
I make no claim to this spice bomb being authentic, nor can I attribute it to a particular cuisine. I confess the combination of ingredients was inspired by a recipe I saw on FB. The temperatures in Brisbane are on the rise so I’m keenly watching out for ideas to help with the preparation of quick, do-ahead delicious meals to get me through the long hot summer.
Turmeric is currently being promoted as a wondrous anti inflammatory so I’m trying to include it as much as possible in my diet to counteract the swollen joints in my fingers. I know they’ll never reduce from their current size by maybe, just maybe I can prevent them from getting worse, and if it means eating more Indian food, more food inspired by SE Asia then I’ll be doubly happy.
The marinade preparation is fairly straightforward. The ingredients can be blitzed in a food mill or for a more authentic experience, pounded in a pestle. The chicken is then best left in the marinade for 24 hours before skewering and handing to the grillmaster to BBQ.
Steam some rice, make a salad of Asian greens and crack open icy cold beer. Dinner’s done.
Peppery Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken (serves 2)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 fat coriander roots, scraped and chopped
40g peeled turmeric root
2 stems lemongrass, tender centres only
20g peeled ginger root
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
4 boneless chicken thighs, halved
8 bamboo skewers soaked for 30 minutes
extra freshly ground black pepper
Pound the peppercorns into a coarse powder then set aside.
Pound the coriander root, turmeric, lemongrass and ginger into a coarse paste.
Add the sugar and fish sauce and pound to incorporate. Incorporate the round pepper.
Put the chicken into a non reactive dish, pour over the marinade and massage into the chicken.
Chill overnight.
Thread one piece of chicken onto each skewer, then top generously with extra freshly cracked black pepper.
Grill until cooked through and nicely charred.
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33 comments on “Peppery Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
The chicken looks delicious. Would love to make it when I get a chance. Thanks for sharing some dinner inspiration over.
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Glad you like the sound of the turmeric and lemongrass chicken 🙂
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Beautiful blog and delicious recipes!! Will be trying out these yummy lemongrass chicken soon!!
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Thanks Archana, I love feedback, let me know how you like it, or any changes you make to suit your palate
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I always learn so much when I visit your site, Sandra. I’ve never seen coriander root here but, then again, I’ve not been looking for it. I have seen lemongrass but aside from throwing a stalk into the stockpot, I’ve never really used it. This method of preparing chicken for the grill sounds wonderful and your mention of the street vendors reminds me of Bangkok. Thank you for that. 🙂
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That’s a nice compliment, thanks John. Here, bunches of coriander come with their roots attached as in Asia, no part is wasted.
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Love this, sounds delicious. I think the marinade will also tenderize the chicken somewhat. Love that you use fresh turmeric root.
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Thanks Stefan, it was delicious…
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Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser and commented:
Use Kosher Chicken
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This recipe looks and sounds wonderful! But what the heck are coriander roots?
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Coriander roots are just that. The coriander is harvested by pulling the whole plant from the soil. It has a small fibrous tap root which is packed full of flavour. You could substitute some chopped coriander
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Fascinating!
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I am always looking for new easy ways to spice up chicken, I’ve pinned this one. Sounds delicious.
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Thanks Liz, we really enjoyed it
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Love the combination of flavors Sandra and the chicken looks delicious 🙂
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Thanks Moya
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Lovely, Sandra, those look the business. Great combination of flavours. Hope the turmeric helps your condition. All the best, Linda.
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Thanks Linda, the spicing is just right..
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Turmeric is a spice I’ve really been using more of myself, it’s just fantastic, especially with chicken. These chicken skewers look really fantastic, thanks for sharing 🙂
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You’re welcome Jess
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Sipping my smoothie (with fresh turmeric root) as I read this. I’ve read that pepper + turmeric actually enhances the benefits of turmeric. This looks and sounds delicious; I love the flavors and the simplicity of this dish, and I hope it contributes to making you feel better.
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Thanks Darya, thanks for the tip of combining pepper with turmeric, love them both….
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This sounds seriously good Sandra! Now if I can just get our BBQ cleaned up…a terrible job, but these skewers would be a great reward.
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Thanks Chez. It’s a horrible job cleaning the BBQ, but worth it in the end
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You are truely amazing Sandra, the foods and beautiful recipes that you put out and the way that you present them is outstanding. Bravo 🙂
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Thanks Paula, it’d good to hear from you as always xx
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Loved it !! Have re-blogged and passed the recipe to my readers too 🙂
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Thanks
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Looks and sounds delicious Sandra. Have you tried drinking any of the new turmeric drinks that are becoming popular in cafés? I haven’t seen any yet here in Alice. Also, have you tried taking a tablespoon of cider vinegar with the ‘Mother’ in a glass of water each morning? It has helped my arthritis. I have a recipe for Mexican style beans that has a Tblsp of turmeric in it as well as other spices.. I will get it onto the recipe section of my blog so you can have a look. I can eat the beans if I soak them for 24-48 hours before cooking them. Best wishes.
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I’ve been taking high dose turmeric supps for quite a while and finding lots of ways to include fresh turmeric in my food so haven’t tried any cafe offerings. I used to take cider vinegar years ago, I’ll try it again. I’ve tried various natural remedies with little affect, always hold hope though. I bought some canned beans the other day to see if soaking made a difference. I just need a day free in case they don’t. I’ll let you know..
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Haha, I sure hope the soaking works for you. I really suffer if I don’t soak them so I know what you mean 😱
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Definitely😱😱😱
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