SA Lockdown – Day8
Week of the lockdown has started on a cold note.
What’s better than a spicy meal on a cold day?
I decide to make this Chicken dish with Indian spices and bake it in the oven. We had just some Yoghurt with Cucumber, but you can always have it with some rice or bread.
Ingredients:
1kg Chicken pieces
1 cup Greek Yoghurt
2tsp Curry Powder
¼tsp ground Cinnamon
4 Curry leaves
1 Bayleaf
1tsp Salt
2 cloves Garlic minced
½tsp fresh ground Ginger
1 cup dried brown Lentils
1 Onion thinly sliced
1 cup grated/pureed Tomatoes
2tbsp Olive Oil
½tsp Saffron
Method:
1. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add the washed and dried Chicken pieces to the bowl and make sure it’s coated with the Yoghurt mixture. Seal tightly and leave in the fridge either overnight or for at least 2 hours. This ensures that the chicken absorbs the spices and is tender. Take the Chicken out of the fridge about an hour before you start cooking.
3. Parboil the Lentils in salt water and drain and set aside.
4. Heat Olive oil in a flat pot and add the sliced Onions. Sauté on medium to high heat until golden brown.
5. Remove have of the fried Onions and set aside.
6. Puree the Tomatoes and Mint leaves.
7. Add the pureed Tomatoes to the pot with the fried Onions and simmer on medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
8. Add the Chicken with all the marinade to the pot and stir well, simmer for about 5 minutes.
9. Remove the pot from the heat.
10. Sprinkle the Saffron onto the Chicken.
11. Spread the parboiled Lentils onto the Chicken.
12. Now add the remaining fried Onions on top of the Lentils.
13. Seal with a layer of aluminium foil and cover with lid.
14. bake in a preheated one at 180º for about an hour until all the liquid is now evaporated.
Yoghurt
Mix 1 cup Greek Yoghurt, 1 handful Mint leaves, grated Cucumber(remove the seeds and squeeze until all the liquid is removed), ½tsp Sugar and Salt & Pepper in a bowl.
Serve the Chicken with a dollop of Yoghurt.
Note:
*You can also add parboiled rice over the Lentils and you then have a complete dish with rice as well.
*Butter can also be substituted instead of the Olive Oil. This will give is a richer taste.
Enjoy and Keep Safe!
