Warmly spiced, melt in the mouth, chunks of chicken tikka, flavoured with cumin, coriander, cardamom, chilli, garam masala and lemon, are cooked on a bed of vibrant and aromatic turmeric rice. All cooked in one-pot, you start cooking this dish on the hob and let it finish cooking in the oven whilst, you prepare your chosen sides. I like to serve it with a squeeze of lemon juice, raita or yoghurt, tomato and cucumber salad with sliced red onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, mango chutney and some naan bread. Simple, healthy, delicious, stunning. Even better, any leftovers and wonderful served in a wrap for lunch for the following day.
Serves 4 - 6
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Chicken: cut the chicken into large chunks. Mix the salt with the lemon juice in a glass bowl and add the chicken. Mix well and leave on one side to marinate for 30 minutes.
Make marinade: meanwhile, put all the marinade ingredients in the food processor and blitz until thoroughly blended. When the chicken has been marinating in the lemon juice and salt for 30 minutes, add the marinade and mix thoroughly. I find it is easiest to use your hands. Cover and leave to marinate again for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, covered and in the fridge.
Chicken Tikka and Turmeric Pilau Rice: if your chicken is in the fridge, remember to take it out of the fridge 30 – 45 minutes before you want to cook it to give it time to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/G6 (180°C fan).
Heat an oven-proof frying pan or skillet over a very high temperature, add 1 tablespoon oil and brown the chicken on all sides until lightly charred. (As if they had been cooked over charcoal.) Remove the chicken pieces from the pan as they cook – you are only sealing them; the chicken will finish cooking in the oven with the rice. When the chicken is browned and set aside, clean the pan to remove any burnt marinade.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. I blitz the onion in a mini food processor until finely chopped, but you can also do this by hand. Crush the cardamom pods.
Lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised. Stir from time to time. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute, or until aromatic.
Now add the rice, cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, cloves, bay leaves and turmeric powder. Stir well to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed. Add the water, salt and pepper, and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Sit the chicken on top of the rice in the pan, add any juices from the chicken, cover with a lid or double thickness foil and pop in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Take out of the oven, check the rice and chicken to see if they are cooked. If not cooked, continue to cook in the oven, with the lid on, for a further 5 minutes or until cooked. Remove the chicken, taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary, and stir well. Return the chicken back to the pan and pop in the oven, uncovered, for a further 5 – 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed to your liking.
Serve: sprinkle with chopped coriander and, if desired, some lemon wedges. Serve with your choice of side dishes.
Equipment: