Indian-spiced chicken with coriander chutney
Good for a midweek supper, or equally enjoyable cooked on the barbecue in summer. The chicken becomes lovely and smoky. Make sure you leave it to marinate properly, it really makes a difference. A tomato marinade might seem extravagant, so cook it when they are cheap and abundant, or when you have a glut of tomatoes that are past their best (a bit soft).
Ingrediënten
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 250 g 9oz tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 1½ tsp cumin seeds toasted and ground
- 1½ tsp coriander seeds toasted and ground
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 cm 1¼in root ginger, peeled and chopped
- salt and pepper
- ½ green chilli deseeded and chopped
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil or any other oil you prefer
FOR THE CHUTNEY
- 50 g 1¾oz coriander leaves and stalks, separated
- 1 green chilli halved, deseeded and chopped
- juice of 2 limes plus more if needed
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 cm ¾in root ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Instructies
- Put everything for the chicken – except the chicken itself and the oil – into a food processor with the coriander stalks (from the chutney ingredients list).
- Whizz to a rough purée.
- If the chicken breasts are very thick, cut them in half horizontally.
- Whether you’re using breasts or thighs, pierce them all over with the point of a sharp knife.
- Put the chicken into a dish and pour the puréed tomato mixture all over them.
- Turn them over in the marinade, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for two hours (or overnight).
- Turn the chicken pieces over every so often.
- Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- To make the chutney, put the coriander leaves into a food processor with all the other ingredients and whizz.
- Taste.
- You might need more lime juice.
- Scrape into a bowl.
- Heat a griddle until it’s very hot.
- Lift the chicken out of its marinade and brush the pieces on each side with the oil.
- Cook on a high heat for about three minutes, turning once (and moving the chicken round the griddle so that no pieces are cooking in the less-hot patches).
- Season.
- Reduce the heat and cook for about two minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (but not overcooked, it should still be moist).
- Thighs will take longer than breasts.
- Serve the chicken with the coriander chutney, a bowl of cucumber raita and some rice.
- (I must say I also love a mango and watercress salad with it, but I always love a mango and watercress salad…)
