½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
juice of ½ lemon, plus 1 ½ lemons cut into wedges
1 ¼ tsps. kosher salt
¾ tsp. cracked pepper corns
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
8 chicken cutlets
3 large eggs
¼ tsps. garam masala
1 ¾ cups panko bread crumbs
6 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1¾ cups)
1 cup peanut flour
¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Mix the cilantro, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, ½ tsp. cracked peppercorns and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
Transfer to a resealable gallon-sized plastic bag, add the chicken cutlets and turn to coat.
Refrigerate the cutlets for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Whisk the eggs with garam masala, ¼ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. cracked peppercorns in a shallow dish.
In a separate dish, whisk the panko and cheese, and place the peanut flour in another dish.
Dredge each chicken cutlet in the peanut flour and tap off the excess. Dip into the egg mixture and then lay in the panko-Parmesan breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs onto each side of the cutlets and place the breaded cutlets on a plate or baking sheet.
Heat a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat for ½ minutes or until very hot and shimmery. Fry the chicken in batches, cooking until each side of the cutlet is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding extra olive oil to the skillet if and when necessary.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and serve with lemon wedges.
(Note: serve with Suvir Saran's Masala Slaw, see recipe, previous page.)
Photo and recipe: National Peanut Board