Sandalwood-flavoured tandoori chicken breast
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Chicken breasts are given a double marinade before being seared in gram flour and finished off in the oven in this wonderful make-ahead dish from Vivek Singh. Serve with chutney or raita on their own as a starter or small plate, or alongside rice or breads as a stunning main. The ground sandalwood in the second marinade can be found in Indian grocers and adds a perfumed aromatic flavour along with the rosewater and kewra (screw pine) water.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , skinless
- 50ml of vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds , (known as royal cumin seeds in India)
- 25g of gram flour
- 1/2 tsp rosewater
- 1/2 tsp kewra water
First marinade
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp yellow chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 lemon , juiced
Second marinade
- 4 tbsp of Greek-style yoghurt
- 3 tbsp of single cream
- 3 pieces of mace
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp sandalwood powder
- 1g of saffron , infused in 30ml warm milk for 5 minutes
To serve
- pomegranate seeds
- chutney , or raita of your choosing
Method
1
Begin by coating the chicken breasts in all the ingredients for the first marinade and place in the fridge for 30 minutes
- 4 chicken breasts , skinless
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp yellow chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 lemon , juiced
2
Add in all the ingredients for the second marinade, mixing well, then set aside for a further 15 minutes
- 4 tbsp of Greek-style yoghurt
- 3 tbsp of single cream
- 3 pieces of mace
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp sandalwood powder
- 1g of saffron , infused in 30ml warm milk for 5 minutes
3
To cook the chicken, heat the oil in a deep pan or thick wok. Add the caraway seeds – when they start to spit and splutter, add the gram flour, turn the heat down and stir constantly, breaking up any lumps. Continue to cook the flour until it turns golden
- 50ml of vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds , (known as royal cumin seeds in India)
- 25g of gram flour
4
Once the flour is golden, add the chicken and sear in the oil until the flour forms a coating (this shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle over the rosewater and kewra water, then place the chicken on a tray to cool slightly
- 1/2 tsp rosewater
- 1/2 tsp kewra water
5
Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
6
To finish cooking the chicken, place the breasts into the oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve with the pomegranate seeds scattered over and your favourite chutney or raita
- pomegranate seeds
- chutney , or raita of your choosing
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Sandalwood-flavoured tandoori chicken breast
