Category: Chicken

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Tandoori Chicken & Mango Lassi Shake

Though we are still in lockdown in the UK, the glorious sunshine has been our only saving grace. It’s this heatwave that inspired the menu for this week’s LIVE cookery class. A spicy, grilled Tandoori Chicken with a tropical, ice cold sweet Mango Lassi shake to wash it down! Sound good? Scroll down for the recipe.

This is my home-style Tandoori recipe – no red food colouring here! I like to do a double marination that results in chicken that is incredibly flavourful at every bite. Oh and the longer you can leave the marination on, the better! I served it with a sprouted moon bean, lime & tomato salad and it went down a treat.

To wash it down, I shared my delicious and easy to make Mango Lassi shake. I personally find this recipe a lot lighter and more refreshing than regular lassi. If you can source fresh South Asian mangoes – lucky you – use them! If not, it’s quite easy to find mango pulp in the “world” section of most of the big supermarkets these days and that works very well too.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you want to watch the live class again, you can do so by clicking here. Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts and share pictures of your recreations on Insta, Twitter or Facebook.

Oh and mark your calendars and join me for my next live cook-along class on 12th June. Keep posted to my social media to see what we will be making.

Happy cooking y’all x

Tandoori Chicken & Mango Lassi Shake

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Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Blender

Ingredients
  

For the Tandoori Chicken:

  • 575 g skinless chicken thigh, with 3-4 slits cut into each one I like to use bone in for extra flavour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt or according to taste
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 3 tbsp crispy fried onions optional (usually found in the salad topper section of supermarkets)
  • 2-3 fresh green chillies as per your taste
  • 4 ” ginger cut into small chunks
  • 2 large cloves garlic peeled
  • small handful fresh coriander
  • 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp oil

To serve:

  • chaat masala optional
  • lime

To make the Mango Lassi Shake

  • 400 ml mango pulp Kesar/Alphonso mango pulp is best
  • 250 ml milk
  • 25-30 ice cubes
  • 2-3 tsp sugar/honey optional, as per your taste

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken in a bowl and add the lime juice and salt. Mix well. If you have time, allow to marinate for 30mins – 1hour.
  • Pre heat grill at the maximum temperature setting and place a wire tray on a foil lined baking sheet and keep aside. Then place the fried onions, chillies, ginger, garlic and fresh coriander in a food processor and blitz until a coarse paste forms (it does not have to be very smooth).
  • Tip this paste onto the chicken. Then add the yoghurt and all of the spices as well as the oil. Mix well and work the marination into the slits of the chicken. Tip – if you can, allow the chicken to marinate for 2-3 hours / overnight as it will allow the flavours to really absorb into the chicken.
  • When you are ready to cook, place the chicken pieces on the wire tray and cook in your grill for 8-10 minutes. It should have a slight char and should be about 70% cooked of the way. Now, turn the chicken pieces over and continue to grill for a further 3-5 minutes. The meat should be white all the way through. You can cook for a little longer if you like it to be slightly more charred all over but be careful not to overcook. (You can also cook this on the BBQ! )
  • Remove from grill. Drizzle over any extra marination that has dropped onto the foil along with a good sprinkle of chaat masala and lime juice.
  • To make the mango lassi, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass an garnish with lime zest, pomegranate seeds or fresh mint. Enjoy immediately!

Notes

You marinade should not be too wet – it should be like a thick paste. If you find it is more on the wet side, you can add 1-2tsp of gram flour (chickpea flour) along with a pinch of salt. This will help the marinade stick to your chicken as it grills. 
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Keralan Fried Chicken (or Cauliflower) #KFC

They say you shouldn’t mess with a classic and don’t get me wrong, the colonel’s recipe is good – I regularly crave it. But, in my very humble opinion..injecting the classic with some spice and heat takes it to another level! My Mum introduced me to the idea of an “Indian-ified” KFC. When my brother and I were kids, she used to make it for us on birthdays or special occasions.

I originally created my own version for a web series I did with Tastemade a little while back (video below!) a couple of years ago. It has wonderful Keralan/South Indian flavours which add depth, aroma & heat. The chicken is first marinated in coconut milk, curry leaves, ginger, chilli n garlic. Then coated in coconut & plain flour and deep fried until golden and crisp. It also works incredibly well with cauliflower if you want to make a veggy/vegan version!

I hope you like this recipe! Let me know your thoughts on on Insta, Twitter or Facebook.

Oh and don’t forget to join me next Friday on 29th May for my next live cook-along class. Keep posted to my social media over the next few days to see what we will be making.

Happy cooking y’all x

Keralan Fried Chicken (KFC)

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Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs skinless. Use cauliflower florets for a veggy/vegan version.
  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 ” fresh ginger root
  • 2 birds eye green chillies
  • 4 stems fresh coriander washed
  • 2 stems curry leaves, de-stemmed & washed optional
  • 1 ½ – 2tsp salt according to taste
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • sunflower/vegetable oil for deep frying
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 100 g coconut flour If you don’t have this, just use 200g plain flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp onion powder optional
  • 6 stems curry leaves washed, dried and de-stemmed for garnishing (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a blender, blitz coconut milk, garlic, ginger, chillies, coriander and curry leaves and empty into a bowl. Add the chicken along with salt, garam masala, coriander powder, paprika and turmeric. Cover & refrigerate for as long as possible (24 hours is best) but at least a couple of hours.
  • Place the plain flour, coconut flour, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and onion powder in a shallow bowl and combine.
  • Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. Place enough oil in a pan so it is about 4-5" deep and place on a low/medium heat. I like to use a small-medium sized wok.
  • Now shake off any excess coconut milk marinade from the chicken and dredge each piece in the flour and evenly coat Then place the chicken piece back in the marinade, shake off any excess and dredge in the flour once again. (I like to use one hand for placing the chicken in the marinade and the other hand for placing the chicken in the flour as it is less messy this way!).
  • Very carefully place into a medium pan of oil at 180ºC. Repeat with the next piece. Cook 2 pieces at a time to keep the temperature from falling.
  • Cook for 8-9 minutes. Then use a pair of tongues to carefully turn each chicken piece once golden. Cook until golden brown on the other side. The chicken should be cooked and white in colour internally. You can also use a thermometer probe to check the internal temperature is 75 ºC.
  • Remove chicken pieces from oil using a slotted spoon and then place on a wire tray/rack to drain.
  • Now, place the curry leaves into the same hot oil. They may splatter slightly so be careful. Deep fry for 5-10 seconds. Remove and drain using a slotted spoon and then place on kitchen paper. Allow them to cool slightly until crisp, then crush the curry leaves with your hands and sprinkle over fried chicken.
  • Serve with your KFC with your favourite dipping sauce/Indian chutney!
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Punjabi Murgh Masala

I can’t count the number of times I have cooked this dish; yet every time I sit down to eat it, I still get a tiny bit excited. It’s because it never disappoints. It is for that reason that I decided to teach my Punjabi Murgh Masala at my third LIVE COOKERY CLASS this afternoon. I have also decided that it deserves to be flagged under my “Spice Club Staples” recipe collection because once you have nailed how to make the masala part of this recipe, you can actually use it as a base for countless recipes, so tis a great go-to in our current climate.

The masala is also fantastic to cook in bulk, store in a jar, top with a little bit of oil & keep in the fridge. When you come home and fancy a delicious chicken/paneer/mixed veg/fish prawn masala…you know it will be ready in just a matter of minutes.

Sure you can reach for an expensive jar of a pre-made “curry” paste. But why would you when you know the fresh masala you have made from scratch in your own kitchen is (so much) tastier, has no additives/colourings, is more nutritious and not to mention cheaper. Okay my sales pitch is officially over. Now you have to try it for yourselves and let me know your thoughts!

If you missed the live cookery class but want to catch up and watch, you can do so by clicking here. Also, if you have any dish suggestions for next week’s class, comment below or drop me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I would love to hear from you!

Punjabi Murgh Masala (Chicken Curry)

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Ingredients
  

For the chicken marinade:

  • 500 g skinned boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp yoghurt Plain/Greek works (a full fat type is preferred)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala

For the masala:

  • 5-7 tbsp oil or ghee, or a combination of both
  • 3 bay leaves optional
  • 3 cloves optional
  • 3 green cardamom pods optional
  • 1 black cardamom optional
  • 2 medium onions (approx 175g) very finely diced
  • 1 tsp salt or according to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves grated
  • 2 " ginger grated
  • 5 tbsp tomato passata/blitzed plum tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp double concentrate tomato puree, optional
  • 1-2 chillies finely chopped, (or you can use 1/4 -1/2 tsp chilli powder)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 heaped tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp sun dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi, ground into a powder, optional
  • Handful fresh coriander with stems finely chopped

You will also need:

  • 1 x Foil lined oven tray
  • Jug of water (room temp is fine)
  • Pestle & Mortar if you have one. Don't worry if not!

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat your grill at the maximum temperature setting. Place all "marinade" ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Place the marinated chicken on a foil lined oven tray and spread out. Grill for approximately 10 minutes or until fully cooked (the chicken should be white all the way through and have a slight golden char all over). Remove from grill and keep aside.
  • Heat the oil/ghee in a pan. Using a pestle & mortar, coarsely crush the cloves and cardamoms until coarsely ground. Then add to the oil along with the bay leaves. Immediately after, add the chopped onions along with 1 tsp salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat until soft and translucent.
  • Now add the grated garlic and ginger and mix. Continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes until completely golden brown.
  • At this point, add the tomato passata as well as the puree and green chilli to the pan and stir for a a minute.
  • Now, reduce the heat. Then add the garam masala, coriander powder and paprika and mix well. Cook for a minute. When you see the oil begin to separate from the masala paste at the edges, add the grilled chicken. Add approximately ¼ cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly, place a lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 6-8 minutes.
  • Finish with the ground, dried fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander. Allow to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
  • If you like your curry to be even more saucier, you can add a little more water (you may need to adjust the seasoning slightly if you do this)
  • Taste for salt and chilli and adjust accordingly.