Platinum Jubilee Chicken Tikka with a Curried Mayonnaise and Yoghurt Sauce, Fresh Mango, Pomegranate Seeds and Pistachio
Warmly spiced with cumin, coriander, cardamom, chilli and garam masala, these melt in the mouth, chunks of tender chicken tikka, are swathed in a fresh, mild curried mayonnaise and yoghurt sauce, loaded with fresh coriander and mint. Topped with cubes of sweet fresh mango, toasted pistachios, pomegranate seeds and sliced spring onions, this dish is an explosion of taste and texture.
Ingredients
Please note, the chicken needs to be marinated for a minimum of 1 hour before cooking.
For the chicken –
- 500 – 600g grams chicken breast or thigh meat. Breasts and thick thighs should be halved horizontally
- 1 lemon, juice only
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For the marinade –
- 100g natural yoghurt
- ½ red onion, peeled and roughly chopped (around 65g prepared weight)
- 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 16g fresh peeled ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
For the sauce –
- 20g fresh coriander, very thick stems removed
- 10g fresh mint leaves, stems removed
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 lime – zest and juice
- 150g Greek yoghurt
- 150g good quality mayonnaise - I use Hellman's
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
To finish –
- shelled pistachio nuts
- 1 fresh mango, skin removed and cubes
- pomegranate seeds
- fresh chopped coriander
- 2 - 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
Serving options –
- lettuce leaves – I used gem lettuce
- naan bread or quick naan bread
- toasted brioche
- mango chutney
- Rice, Pea, Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Salad with a Lime and Honey Dressing
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Prepare the chicken – slice the chicken breasts on half horizontally.
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Mix the chicken, lemon juice and salt in a glass bowl and leave on one side to marinate for 30 minutes.
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Make the marinade – put all the marinade ingredients in the food processor and blitz until throughly blended.
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When the chicken is ready, add the marinade and mix thoroughly. I find it is easiest to use your hands.
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Cover and leave to marinate for a minimum of a further 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
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Make the sauce – prepare the coriander, mint and spring onions and blitz in a food processor until finely chopped.
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Finely grate in the zest of a lime and add the lime juice as well.
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Now add the remaining ingredients – the Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, curry, cumin, turmeric powder and some salt and pepper.
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Blitz again until thoroughly mixed. Your sauce is now ready.
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Now cook the chicken and serve – first toast the pistachio nuts. Heat a frying pan over a moderate heat and add the nuts. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the nuts are lightly toasted. Take out of the pan and set aside.
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Chop the mango into small cubes, trim and slice the spring onions and roughly chop the fresh coriander.
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Cook the chicken – heat a griddle or frying pan over a moderately high temperature with a little oil. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for for roughly 4 – 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meat should read 165°F or 75°C. Alternatively cook on a barbecue. (See Recipe Notes below for details of how to cook in the oven.)
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When the chicken is cooked, transfer to a heated plate and cover. Rest the chicken for 5 – 10 minutes. You can either serve the breasts whole or slice them before you serve.
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To serve with lettuce wraps: lay out your lettuce ‘wraps’
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Fill each lettuce wrap with cubes of chicken and mango.
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Drizzle over the sauce and scatter over pistachio nuts, pomegranate seeds, spring onion slices and chopped coriander.
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Serve with Rice, Pea, Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Salad with a Lime and Honey Dressing and/or naan bread or quick naan bread and extra sauce on the side.
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Serve as a burger: toast your brioche bun and spread the base of the bun with mango chutney.
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Add one or two slices of chicken breasts and drizzle with the sauce.
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Top with lettuce and brioche. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- chopping board and knife
- glass dish to marinate the chicken
- food processor
Cook the chicken in the oven:
- Preheat oven to Fan Oven 200°C/220°C/425°F/Gas 7.
- Brush some oil over a baking tray and pop in the oven for 2 minutes to heat up.
- Lay the chicken on the tray and cook in a preheated oven for between 8 – 15 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meat should read 165°F or 75°C.
- When cooked transfer to a heated plate and cover. Rest the chicken for 5 – 10 minutes. You can either serve the breasts whole or slice them before you serve.