GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN WITH CORIANDER, CASHEWS, CHILLI, MINT
We just love a spicy, flavourful chicken dish and we especially love one that is as easy as this to prepare and cook.
Just a few ingredients thrown into the food processor and you’ll have a marinade which, after cooking with the chicken, creates a delicious sauce.
It’s a great recipe for a mid-week meal served with a simple salad or tarted up for guests with chutneys, cucumber raita, veggies and rice.
Either way, it’s a dinner winner.
Rosie
CHICKEN WITH CORIANDER, CASHEWS, CHILLI, MINT
Hariyali Murg
Serves 6
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
30 gm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large bunch coriander, leaves and stems
½ large bunch mint, leaves only
50 gm cashews
2-4 long green chillies, or to taste
4 spring onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
300 gm yoghurt
3 600gm spatchcock or 12 small chicken thigh cutlets with skin on
120 gm unsalted butter
To make the marinade, place garlic, ginger, coriander leaves and stems, mint leaves, cashews, chillies, spring onions and salt in food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the yoghurt and process to combine well.
If using spatchcock, with kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the back bone and remove. If you’re feeling energetic you can also remove the rib cage. Cut the spatchcocks in half by cutting through the breast of each spatchcock. Reserve the bones or freeze them for making stock at another time.
Place the spatchcock halves or chicken thighs in a non-reactive bowl, pour over the marinade and massage into all sides of the spatchcock/chicken thighs. Allow to marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a large baking tray with foil then baking paper. Place the spatchcocks or chicken thighs along with all the marinade into the prepared baking tray. Dot with the butter.
Place a sheet of baking paper directly on top then tightly cover the whole baking tray with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Remove the covering, spoon over some of the pan juices, and turn the oven up to high to allow the birds to brown. Alternately, place under the grill.
Serve with steamed rice, cucumber raita, hot mango chutney, green vegetables and/or chat potatoes sliced Hasselback style, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with panch phora (Indian seed mix).
FYI:
‘Hariyali’ means green, referring to the herb-based marinade that gives the dish its colour and fresh, zesty flavour.