Don’t lift the lid, or you’ll release the hot steam that finishes cooking the chicken. Turn off the heat (if you have an electric stove, take the pan off the heat) and let the chicken sit, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the chicken for 10 minutes (no peeking!).Working in batches if necessary, cook the breasts, undisturbed, until lightly golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip them and cook until lightly golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake gently to remove any excess marinade. Once the pan is quite hot, add the oil, swirling the pan to coat the entire surface. Warm a large lidded skillet over medium-high heat.Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Use your hands to gently massage the marinade onto the chicken breasts until each breast is coated.

Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and seal the bag tightly.Add the coriander, turmeric, amchur (if using), red chile powder and salt, and seal the bag. Seal the bag and massage to combine the ingredients into a paste. Make the marinade: Add the garlic, ginger, mint, cilantro, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil to a large resealable bag.Both the marinade and the cooking method (low and sort of slow) feel ingenious to me, and the payoff is huge: Charred, spicy, slightly funky, juicy chicken that is equally wonderful by itself or rolled up in a roti, taco-style, and served with various salads and chutneys. Well, folks, I am here to tell you that, after much negotiation, I have finally pried that chicken recipe out of Sonia’s hands. The marinating chicken would smell so good, I’d legitimately have thoughts about eating it raw, carpaccio-style (which is disgusting, I know!). No one (not even her only daughter, Isha) was allowed to know the contents. Whenever my aunt would make it on a family vacation, she’d disappear for a half-hour and reemerge with a Ziploc bag filled with the marinade and the chicken breasts.

Until recently, though, no one knew what, exactly, went into it. This chicken, which is the brainchild of my aunt Sonia, is legendary among our cousins.

Mint ice cream topping