Make Anjula Devi’s Chicken Tikka on Crispy Parathas

PREP: 20 Minutes

COOK: 40 Minutes

SERVES: 6

Ingredients

For the chicken tikka:
1 chicken breast fillet, skinless and boneless, cut into large bite-sized pieces
2 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into large bite-sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled
5cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 bunch coriander, stalks reserved
1 medium ripe fresh mango, peeled and stoned
2 tbsp hot mango pickle
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp mango powder
¼ tsp brown mustard seeds
¼ tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp chickpea flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt, to taste

For the paratha:
110g atta (chapatti flour)
salt, a pinch
1 tbsp vegetable oil
50g unsalted butter

For the salad:
seeds from 1 pomegranate
2 medium carrots, cut into fine strips
¼ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Organic honey
salt, to taste

For the tamarind and date chutney:
1.5l water
6 tamarind pods
6 Medjool dates
black salt, a pinch
chilli powder, a pinch
85g jaggery
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
salt, a pinch

For the coriander and mint chutney:
large bunch coriander
small bunch mint
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp lemon juice
1 fresh green chilli
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

To cook the chicken:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
50g unsalted butter

Instructions

For the chicken tikka, put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Place the garlic, ginger, chillies and chilli powder in a mortar and crush with a pestle to create a fine paste.

Add the paste, the lemon juice and zest to the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.

Place the coriander stalks, mango, mango pickle, yoghurt and mango powder in a blender and whiz to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl.

Toast all the seeds and peppercorns in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then place in a mortar and crush with a pestle to a fine powder. Add to the mango mixture and stir well.

Place the chickpea flour in a dry, non-stick pan over a low heat for just a few minutes, then combine with the spiced yoghurt.

Once the chicken has marinated for 2 hours, add the yoghurt mixture and 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil. Mix well, then cover and leave overnight in the fridge.

For the tamarind and date chutney, place 1 litre of the water in a saucepan, add the tamarind pods and dates and simmer for 10 minutes.

Set aside to cool a little, then strain through a sieve to extract the pulp (discard everything else).

Put the pulp into a saucepan, add the remaining water and bring to the boil.

Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – about 10–15 minutes.

Set aside to cool then reserve until required.

For the coriander and mint chutney, put all the ingredients into a blender and whiz until smooth. Add salt to taste and whiz again. Set aside until required.

For the salad, combine the pomegranate seeds and carrots in a bowl. Toast the mustard and nigella seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and honey, then add salt to taste. Once the mixture is emulsified, pour it over the pomegranate and carrots and mix well.

Set aside until required.

To cook the chicken, put 4 wooden skewers to soak in warm water. Remove the chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Preheat the grill to high. Mix together the vegetable oil and butter. Thread all the chicken pieces on to the skewers and place under the grill, basting regularly with the butter mixture and turning occasionally, until cooked – about 20–25 minutes.

Whilst the chicken cooks, make the parathas.

Put the flour into a bowl with the oil and a pinch of salt and add enough water to form a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and set aside for 10 minutes.

Cut the dough in half, roll each piece into a ball, then roll each ball into a circle about 18–20cm (7–8 inches) in diameter. Brush each circle with butter, then fold in half, brush with butter again and fold in half again. Roll out once more into a circle about 18–20cm (7–8 inches) in diameter.

Heat a dry tawa or frying pan and cook the paratha for 1 minute, until small bubbles appear, then turn over and cook the other side. Brush both sides of the paratha with a little butter, then fry for a further minute on each side. Cook the second paratha in the same way. Keep them warm until you’re ready to serve.

To serve, place the parathas on 2 serving plates, remove the chicken from the skewers, divide between parathas, and spoon the pomegranate salad over.

Serve immediately, with the two chutneys in separate bowls.

For more authentic Indian recipes, Anjula Devi’s fantastic ‘how to’ recipe book comes with  top tips and a glossary of spices, it includes step-by-step instructions for Anjula’s masala base, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for chicken curry, chicken biriyani, stunning samosas and perfect pakoras plus lamb, prawn, vegetarian and vegan dishes, starters, rice, breads and chutneys.  Find out more and buy the book for £5.99 here.

And if you’re looking for the right kit to help you make them, Lakeland have worked with Anjula to create the Authentic India range of products. From flavouring curries to fluffing chapatis, every one is designed specifically for the job in hand.