Ingredients:
- 1 free-range chicken
- 1 cup natural yoghurt (not low fat)
- handful of chopped fresh coriander
- couple of glugs of olive oil
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- 2 small onions, peeled and cut into thick slices
Method:
Joint the chicken into 8 pieces – legs, thighs and cut each breast in half – and place in a non-metallic dish. Leave the skin on and the bone in. Keep the carcass for stock. If you don’t want to joint a chicken, you can just use pre-bought chicken pieces.
Mix the yoghurt, coriander, olive oil, garam masala, salt and garlic in a small bowl and add a grinding of black pepper if you wish. Add this marinade to the chicken and mix well – hands are best. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
To cook – Arrange onions in a thin layer on a large baking tray to form a ‘tasty trivet’ on which to cook the chicken. Place the chicken pieces on top and roast in a hot oven (200C) for 45mins-1 hour or until the juices run clear.
Cumin-roasted carrots
12 small/medium carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into thick pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp sea salt
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and tip out onto a baking sheet. Cook in the oven along with the chicken – these will only take about 35 minutes.
Cucumber raita
2 cups natural yoghurt (Greek-style is best)
½ cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and grated
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Mix everything together and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Second helpings: If there are any leftovers, they are great for next day’s lunch. Shred the chicken, chop the carrots and fill a wrap or pitta bread along with some raita. You can add salad leaves, tomatoes, spring onions etc for extra crunch if you wish. Yum yum.