Tandoori chicken...at home!

I love this recipe. It's so effortless and the results are better than most restaurants and take aways that i've visited who own tandoors. Easy, healthy and wholesome. No bullshit.

I've found that baby chickens always work better for this recipe. Partially  because they cook in no time and there's just enough char/crusty bits and partially because it's ideal for one person. One very hungry person. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 baby chicken - skinless. 

1 small pot fat free yogurt.

1 tbs mashed ginger and same for garlic.

1 lemon

Spices: 1/2 tsp of:  ground cumin, coriander, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper. Also sea salt and cracked pepper (to taste) 

1 tbs tomato purée

1 chilli

In a large bowl and the yogurt and everything above. Not the whole lemon, just the juice ;)

Once thoroughly mixed, smother all over the chicken and then let it rest on the fridge for as long as you need to. Stick the oven on to full whack and stick it in when you're ready. Once in, turn it down to 180-200. Cook uncovered. If you cover it with foil it will release all it's juices in the pan and, combining with the yogurt, will become mushy. You want it to dry the yogurt out - so you get this amazing healthy crust. 

Serve with your favourite rice or, like me, on a bed of couscous and/or some home made coleslaw. :)

Italian broth.

A lovely, soft and velvety Italian style broth - great to eat as a snack or part of a main meal - with lots of crusty buttered bread.

Now, the Italians, I'm sure, would used quite a bit of swine in something like this. Lardons for the base and pork sausages for the meaty part. Obviously, my shizzle needs to be Halal...so I've chosen a halal beef and chicken salami sausage, which can be bought from most continental food stores now. 

Fried, and it gives off a lovely fatty oil and also crisps up nicely. Or just use conventional bits of fatty lamb or chicken thighs.

Here's what you'll need to feed 3-4:

1 large onion; 1 small red pepper; 1/2 tin pinto/Canaloni beans; 1/2 kidney beans; 

1 tin chopped quality tomatoes; 2 cloves garlic; the meat (or veg) of your choice; 1 chilli; a handful of fresh spinach; 1/2 pint boiling chicken/veg stock; a handful of basmati rice; salt, pepper to taste and a pinch of the following spices: ground cumin and coriander; cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of dried oregano and basil (or use fresh) 

Method:

In a medium sized pan - fry off your garlic, chilli, onions and red pepper gently in some olive oil. Nothing worse than burn garlic in your dinner!  Dice the sausage/salami up (or whatever you're using) and fry until fat is released and edges start browning. Sprinkle in your dry seasonings.

Add the stock and let it bubble all the nice sticky bits off the bottom of the pan. Add your beans, a tin of tomatoes, the rice and let it cook for 20mins. Wilt in your spinach 5 mins before switching it off. The handful of rice should be puffy and noticeable in the pan and the oils should have risen to the top. 

Serve as a starter or with some nice Chunky bits of buttered bread.