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The grotty weather lately has left me craving warm, delicious, comforting food. While I'm not quite ready to embrace hearty winter soups or stews, I've wanted a roast dinner pretty much every single day! Perhaps that's one of my weird pregnancy cravings, though...
Anyway, I've been cooking Tandoori Roast Chicken by Manju Malhi a lot lately as a lighter alternative to the traditional Sunday lunch. Simply serve it up with a salad, pitta and the Coriander Chutney for a healthier roast dinner.
Better still, if you double up the ingredients for the tandoori sauce, you can add it to salmon or other meats to marinade for later in the week!
Enjoy,
Sam x
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
1.5kg whole chicken
4tbsp natural unsweetened yoghurt
1tsp garam masala
4 tbsp single cream
2 tbsp medium-hot paprika
1 tsp medium-hot chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp peeled and finely grated root ginger
For the Chutney:
100g coriander, roughly chopped
3 green finger chillies, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp demerara sugar
Method:
1) Take a sharp knife and prick the chicken all over. Make a few slits across the skin, around 2cm long. This will allow the marinade to sink into the chicken skin.
2) Mix all of the chicken ingredients into a smooth paste, then massage the marinade all over the chicken. Cover up and pop into the fridge for at least eight hours or, better still, overnight.
3) Get up, make yourself a coffee, wake up and then pop the oven onto 180 degrees.
4) Place the chicken in a roasting tin and cover loosely with foil. Roast in the centre of the oven for one and a half hours. Halfway through cooking, baste with a little of the marinade.
5) Remove the chicken from the oven and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.
6) Meanwhile you can get started on the coriander chutney! It's easy peasy - place all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water and blend a bit more.
7) Serve with toasted pittas and salad and enjoy!