Chicken Tikka with Pilau Rice and Mint Raita

Chicken Tikka with Pilau Rice and Yogurt Mint Raita

Serves 8

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken Tikka

· 2 kg chicken breasts (diced into large chunks)

Chicken Tikka Marinade:

· X 1 lemon juice

· X 1 thumb sized piece of ginger (peeled and diced)

· X 4 garlic cloves (peeled and diced)

· 50 g fresh coriander

· X 4 tbsp desiccated coconut

· 100 g fat free Greek yogurt

· X 1 tbsp paprika

· X 2 tsp cayenne pepper

· X 1 tsp cinnamon

· X 1 tsp salt

· X 2 tsp cumin seeds (toasted)

· X 2 tsp coriander seeds (toasted)

Rice:

· X 2 brown onions (peeled and diced)

· 500g brown basmati rice (fine to use white also)

· X 1 tbsp Pilau seasoning

Mint Raita

· 500 g fat free Greek yogurt

· 1/2 cucumber (grated and drained of water)

· X 1 garlic clove (peeled and grated)

· X 1 thumb sized piece of ginger (peeled and grated)

· 25g mint (finely chopped)

· X 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Onion and Red Peppers:

· X 3 brown onions (peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced)

· X 3 red peppers (core removed, cut in half and thinly sliced)

To serve:

· Mango chutney

Special Equipment:

· Kebab skewers

· Blender

Directions:

The night before:

· Put a small pan on medium heat and add a splash of oil. Add the cumin and coriander seeds for the chicken tikka marinade. Cook until slightly toasted. Combine the lemon juice, ginger, garlic, coriander, coconut, yogurt, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and salt into a blender. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and blend until the mixture is a paste (add a little more yogurt if you are struggling to blend into a paste). Place the diced chicken in a large bowl and add the blended marinade ingredients and mix.

45 minutes to go:

· Pre heat the grill on a high setting. Remove the marinated chicken and place on skewers. Place the chicken on a tray with distance between each kebab (use two trays if required). Grill for 10 minutes and then flip the kebabs and continue to grill for another 10 minutes or until cooked.

30 minutes to go:

· Whilst the grill is pre heating, heat a splash of oil in a pot. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until brown. Add the pilau seasoning and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir together for another 30 seconds. Add the water and boil the rice as per packaging.

· Heat a pan on high. Add the onions and peppers and cook for 30 minutes, frequently stirring.

20 minutes to go:

· For the mint raita, combine the yogurt, grated and drained cucumber, garlic, ginger, mint, and red wine vinegar in a bowl and stir.

Once everything is ready, gather everyone up and serve with the mango chutney. This is a great meal to have the next day also.