Masala Marinated Chicken with Minted Yoghurt sauce

Be the first to
rate this recipe!
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 4
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 308.5
  • Total Fat: 8.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 129.7 mg
  • Sodium: 792.1 mg
  • Total Carbs: 15.4 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g
  • Protein: 43.8 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Masala Marinated Chicken with Minted Yoghurt sauce calories by ingredient


Introduction

By skinning the chicken before marinating and covering it with this intense marinade the Hairy Bikers have triumphed in their new Hairy Dieters book.

Great served with a a fresh watercress or babyleaf salad, OR with another of their recipes for cumin crusted vegetables.
By skinning the chicken before marinating and covering it with this intense marinade the Hairy Bikers have triumphed in their new Hairy Dieters book.

Great served with a a fresh watercress or babyleaf salad, OR with another of their recipes for cumin crusted vegetables.

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

    1.65kg whole chicken
    1 lime, quartered
    freshly ground black pepper

    FOR THE MARINADE
    6 cardamom pods
    2tbsp cumin seeds
    2 tbsp coriander seeds
    4 whole cloves
    1tsp black peppercorns
    1tsp ground fenugreek
    2 tsp ground turmeric
    1 tbsp paprika
    1 - 2 tsp hot chilli powder
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    1 tsp flaked sea salt
    4 garlic, peeled and crushed
    40g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
    100g low fat natural yoghurt

    FOR THE YOGHURT SAUCE
    200g low fat natural yoghurt
    1tsp ready made mint sauce

Directions

To make the marinade, split the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Put the cardamom seeds in a non stick frying pan and discard the husks. Add the cumin and coriander seeds, cloves and black peppercorns and place the pan over a medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly until the spices are lightly toasted - you know they're ready when you can smell the spicy aroma.

Tip the spices into a pestle and mortar, or an electric spice grinder, and pound to a fine powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the fenugreek, turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the garlic, ginger and yoghurt, then mix well and leave to stand while you prepare the chicken.

Place the chicken on its breast on a sturdy chopping board and cut carefully either side of the backbone with good scissors or poultry shears. Chuck out the backbone and cut off the foot joints and wing tips.

Strip all the skin off the bird apart from the ends of the wings. Cut off and discard any obvious fat. Open out the chicken and place it on a board so that the breast side is facing upwards.

Press down heavily with the palms of your hands to break the breastbone and flatten the chicken as evenly as possible. This will help it cook more quickly. Slash the meat with a knife through the thickest parts of the legs and breasts. Place the chicken in a shallow non metallic dish - a lasagne dish is ideal - and tuck in the legs and wings.

Spoon over the marinade and really massage it into the chicken on both sides, ensuring that every bit of the bird is covered - get your hands in there and really go for it. Cover the dish with cling film and put the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

Preheat the oven to 210c/190c fan/Gas 6 1/2. Take the chicken out of the dish and place it on a rack inside a large baking tray, breast side up. Squeeze over some juice from the lime and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked throughout, tossing the lime quarters onto the rack for the last 20 minutes to cook alongside the chicken. They'll be good for squeezing over the chicken later. The juices should run clear when the thickest part of the thighs is pierced with a skewer. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

While the chicken is roasting, make the sauce. Spoon the yoghurt into a serving bowl and stir in the mint sauce until thoroughly combined. Transfer the chicken to a plate or wooden board and carve into slices, discarding any skin that remains. Serve with the sauce and enjoy.

Serving Size: Make 4 1/4 chicken portions, or will spread to 5 portions if served with larger sides

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WAHZOE.