Curried/Spiced Chicken

(All Recipes have Gluten-Free Options)

Moroccan Chicken with Tomatoes & Saffron-Honey Jam (Serves 4)

This is yet another fool-proof recipe from one of my favourite cookery book writers, Diana Henry. It’s actually from one of her early cookbooks published around twenty two years ago. ‘Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons’, has recently been updated and the new edition is a wonderful reminder of how some recipes have ‘staying power’. This is one of those recipes that should never be forgotten – the sauce is a delicious dream. It’s very simple, but do make sure you allow time to reduce the sauce so that it becomes really jammy – yum!

1.7kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces, or 8 chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

800g tomatoes, roughly chopped

275ml chicken stock or water

½ teaspoon saffron threads

3-5 tablespoons runny honey

1 teaspoon orange flower water

25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan

Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Season the chicken pieces and quickly brown them all over in the olive oil.
Set the chicken aside and cook the onion in the same pan until soft and just colouring. Add the garlic, cinnamon and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
Tip in the tomatoes, mix everything together well, reduce the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Boil the stock or water and dissolve the saffron in it. Pour this over the vegetables and bring the whole thing to the boil. Set the chicken pieces on top, together with any juices that have come out of them, and spoon the liquid over them. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is tender; it should take about 30 minutes, but check after 25.
Remove the chicken pieces and set aside, cover and keep warm. Now bring the juices to the boil and simmer until well reduced to a kind of cream – it shouldn’t be at all sloppy. Add the honey to taste and continue to cook until well-reduced and jam-like. Check the seasoning and add the orange flower water. Return the chicken to the pan and warm through.
Serve scattered with the toasted almond flakes and chopped coriander, with rice, couscous or flatbreads on the side.

Sichuan Chicken with Peanuts and Spring Onion (Serves 4)

This recipe is from Claire Thomson’s cookbook, ‘One Pan Chicken’. Amongst all the recipes for chicken this one caught my eye as it’s the authentic recipe which Thomson’s Sichuanese stepmother gave her. I figured it would be a good one and was right!..

700g boneless, skinless chicken thigh, diced

2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper

2 tablespoons cornflour

2 tablespoons light soy sauce (gluten free if required)

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 tablespoons black rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 star anise

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

4 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

8-12 small dried chillies, stem and seeds discarded, then roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and cut into similar lengths as the diced chicken

80g roasted peanuts, roughly crushed

Sea salt

Season the chicken with a big pinch of salt and the Sichuan pepper, then dust with half the cornflour, to coat. Next, add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and all the Shaoxing wine (or sherry) and mix well.
In a bowl, mix together the sugar, vinegar and sesame oil, along with 2 tablespoons of water, the star anise, sesame seeds and the remaining soy sauce and cornflour. Put to oneside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the dried chillies and stir-fry for a few minutes, then add the chicken and cook for a few more minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through.
Mix through the vinegar mixture, stir-frying over a high heat for a couple of minutes to fully coat and cook the chicken.
Remove from the heat and scatter with the crushed peanuts to serve.

Chicken with Pineapple and Nudja (Serves 4)

What a wonderful combination of flavours there are in this recipe – sweet and savoury with a hint of spice! The recipe is from Ixta Belfrage’s cookbook ‘Mezcla’ in which she draws inspiration from her childhood which was spent in Mexico, Italy and Brazil, it’s a truly multicultural flavoured book – fantastic!

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a knife

1 onion, halved and very thinly sliced

½ large, extra ripe pineapple, peeled (300g)

2 oranges, squeezed to get 100g juice

100g chicken stock

2 tablespoons double cream

5g fresh coriander

1 lime cut into wedges

For the Nudja and Chipotle paste:

50g nudja paste/ spread

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons tomato puree

½ teaspoon chipotle flakes

½ teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon fine salt

About 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Put all the ingredients for the nudja and chipotle paste in a large bowl and mix together. Add the chicken, garlic and three-quarters of the sliced onion (save the rest to serve) and mix well so that everything is coated evenly. Tip the chicken, onions and garlic into a roasting tin, spreading out the chicken, skin side up on top of the onions and garlic (you will need the remnants of the paste in the bowl for the pineapple).
Cut the pineapple into 4 rounds and cut each round into quarters, removing the hard core (you should have about 300g). Add the pineapple to the bowl with the remnants of the paste, mix to coat with whatever is left in the bowl then add to the chicken.
Pour the orange juice around the chicken (don’t get the skin wet – you want it to crisp up!). Bake in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the stock into the pan around the chicken (again don’t get the skin wet!). Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and at the skin is brown and crispy. Now, if you have a blowtorch, you can char the pineapple a little (but no worries if not – it will still taste delicious!).
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes, then drizzle the cream into the sauce.
Toss the coriander with the remaining sliced onion and a little salt and olive oil and arrange on top. Serve straight from the pan with lime wedges alongside.

Chicken with Miso, Ginger and Lime (Serves 6)

As the photo suggests, this recipe is a lovely sticky, unctuous affair. Taken from Ottolenghi’s cookbook ‘Simple’, it’s super easy all it needs is a good green salad and some rice – simple!..

6 Chicken legs (skin and bone in), skin scored a few times

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

2½ tablespoons mirin

2½ tablespoons maple syrup

2½ tablespoons soy sauce

80g white miso

4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (30g)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lime, skin shaved into fine strips then juiced

40g coriander stems cut into 6cm lengths (reserve the leaves for a garnish)

2 red chillies, sliced in half lengthways and deseeded

10 spring onions, 8 sliced in half lengthways and 2 finely chopped (to serve)

Sea salt

Place the chicken legs in a large bowl with the oil and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Mix together.
Place a large frying pan on a medium/high heat. Once hot add half the chicken legs, skin side down and sear for 4-5 minutes. Then remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining chicken, discarding the fat as you go, and set aside.
Place the mirin, maple syrup, soy sauce, miso, ginger, garlic, lime strips and juice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the chicken and stir well so that everything is coated.
Put the coriander stems, chillies and 8 halved spring onions in to a high-sided baking dish and place the chicken on top, skin side up (along with any residue dressing). Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and turn the chicken legs over (skin side down) and return to the oven for 30 minutes uncovered, turning the legs back over halfway through (skin side up) and basting a couple of times. The chicken will be golden brown, sticky and tender and the chillies and spring onions will be soft.
To serve, place a chicken leg on each plate and surround it with coriander, chilli and halved spring onions. Finally, drizzle the with sauce and sprinkle over the finely sliced spring onions and garnish with the reserved coriander leaves. Serve with sticky white rice and a good green salad.

Rakhine Chicken Curry (Serves 4)

This is a fresh tasting curry, a good crowd-pleaser. It’s from Yasmin Khan’s cookbook ‘Ripe Figs’, which is a testament to the wonderful flavours that immigration brings to our kitchens, this recipe is a Burmese inspired curry. Simply serve with white rice and/ or flatbreads (recipe here).

800g skinless chicken thighs

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons garam masala

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

4 banana shallots, finely slices (about 200g)

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

30g root ginger or galangal, peeled and finely grated

½-1 red chilli, finely chopped, depending on your tastebuds.

2 tablespoons fish sauce or shrimp sauce

400g chopped plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon sugar

120g canned bamboo shoots, drained

25g coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Finely chop the chicken into very small pieces, around 1cm. Place in a bowl and add the ground spices and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix well and leave to marinate while you make the base for the curry.
Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about 10 minutes until they have softened. Then add the garlic and ginger (or galangal) and chilli and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the fish sauce (or shrimp paste), tomatoes and sugar. Stir well, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Add the chicken and bamboo shoots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is just cooked. After 8 minutes add most of the chopped coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You may need to add a touch more salt, pepper or cayenne.
If you have time leave the curry to rest for an hour before reheating and serving – this will allow the flavours to meld, but you can serve it straightaway. Either way serve sprinkled with the remaining coriander and white rice and/or warm flat breads (recipe here).

Chorizo and Chilli Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a recipe which my friend introduced me to, it’s her ‘old classic’ family recipe, one which is good enough to be served to both family and friends; it’s been known to turn up on her ‘dinner-party table’…

8 chicken thighs

1 tablespoon olive oil

225g chorizo, sliced (about thickness of a pound coin)

400g tinned tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 red onions, cut into wedges

2 red peppers, roughly diced

2 handfuls whole black olives

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken, skin-side down until browned, then turn over and quickly brown the underside. Remove from the pan and place in a roasting tin.
Add the chorizo slices to the frying pan, fry for about 5 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes along with the tomato paste, chilli flakes, Worcestershire sauce and onion wedges. Season with salt and pepper, stir and bring to the boil.
Pour over the chicken and gently mix, making sure that the chicken thighs are left skin-side up. Bake in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently stir through the diced red peppers and black olives, then return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Finally, stir through the parsley before serving.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Curry with Speedy Flatbreads (Serves 4)

This is a recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s cookbook ‘Ramsay in 10; Delicious Recipes Made in a Flash‘, in which he claims all the recipes can be ready in 10 minutes! To be honest, I think that this recipe, due to the preparation of the vegetables, definitely pushes beyond those 10 minutes but it is still a very quick and easy recipe – a great midweek curry. It is best to prepare all the ingredients first so that they can be cooked quickly!

½ Butternut squash, preferably the neck end, peeled

Vegetable oil for frying

2½ tablespoons garam marsala

1 large red onion, peeled

1 red chilli

2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled

400-500g chicken breasts

50g frozen peas

250ml coconut milk

240g tinned chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock

30g fresh spinach leaves

Sea salt and black pepper

Firstly prepare your vegetables: Coarsely grate the squash, the onion and the ginger – keeping them all separate. Chop the chilli.
Dice the chicken breast into small cubes
Heat a high-sided frying pan over a medium-high heat, add a drizzle of oil then add the grated squash, season with salt then stir in the garam marsala. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the grated onion, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the chopped chilli and grated ginger, allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Make a well in the middle of the pan and drizzle in a little more oil. Add the diced chicken, season with salt and toss to combine. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the peas and cook for a further minute.
Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and stock, stir well and bring to the boil then allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Stir in the spinach leaves and cook until they have wilted.
Serve with rice and flatbreads (recipe below)

Speedy Flatbreads (with a Gluten-Free option) (Serves 4)

This is a fantastic recipe – a real revelation. These flatbreads are great as a side to a curry, but are equally good as a snack for lunch! They are super easy to make – the dough just needs 15 minutes to rest before cooking, so bear this in mind.

120g plain flour (gluten-free if required – I use Doves)

Pinch of salt

Glug of olive oil

120ml water (approx)

Place the flour and salt in a bowl, add a glug of olive oil and then, stirring gradually enough water to form a dough (you probably won’t use all the water).
Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, roll into small balls and then gently roll each ball out into thin flatbreads.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat, sprinkle with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Place each flatbread in the hot pan, one at a time, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until slightly charred.

Vietnamese Lemon Grass and Chilli Chicken (Serves 4)

This is one of those recipes which is instantly comforting, it has the most wonderful combination of hot, sour, salty and sweet flavours. The fact that it is particularly quick and easy to cook makes it even more comforting – just remember to marinate it for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before cooking. Simply serve with rice. This is another fantastic recipe from Diana Henry’s cookbook, ‘A Bird in Hand’.

800g skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 lemon grass stalks

4 tablespoons fish sauce

2½ tablespoons caster sugar, to taste

2 red chillies, halved, deseeded and sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons groundnut or sunflower oil

1 onion, halved and sliced thinly into half-moon shaped slices

125ml chicken stock

Juice of ½-1 lime, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

½ tablespoon sesame seeds to serve (optional)

Trim any fat from the chicken thighs and cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces.
Remove the coarse outer layers from the lemon grass, trim the top and base, and chop the rest as finely as you can. Put half of this into a bowl with the fish sauce, caster sugar, the garlic, half the chillies and the chopped chicken. Mix together and cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours – overnight is best. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok set over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook it on all sides, browning it well. Add the onion, give it a good stir before adding the remaining chillies and lemongrass, stir fry until the onion starts to soften, being careful not to burn the chillies and lemongrass. Pour in the stock then reduce the heat, cover and allow the chicken to cook for about five minutes.
Remove the lid, increase the heat and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced. You want the mixture to be wetter than a stir-fry but not too saucy. Add the lime juice, then check the seasoning for the sweet-sour balance – adding more sugar or lime to taste.
Sprinkle with the chopped coriander leaves and sesame seeds, serve with rice.

Whole Butter Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Red Onion (Serves 4)

Here a subtly tandoori spiced chicken is cooked on a bed of sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes and onions, and at the end of cooking, you are left with a wonderfully sweet tomato sauce. It is a great family dinner dish from Rukmini Iyer’s cookbook ‘The Roasting Tin Around the World’, in which all the recipes are simply cooked in one dish – minimum effort, maximum flavour!…

1 x 1.5kg chicken

50g butter

1 cinnamon stick

5 green cardamom pods, bashed

5 cloves

10cm ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large 5cm chunks

2 red onions, quartered

500g cherry tomatoes with their vines

1 lime, zest and juice

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 heaped tablespoons natural yogurt

1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

150ml double cream

To Serve: lime juice, sea salt flakes and fresh coriander, roughly chopped.

Place the butter, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, half of the grated ginger and garlic into a large roasting tin. Put it in a preheated oven, 180’c fan, for 3-5 minutes to let the butter melt and the spices toast.
Remove the tin from the oven and add the sweet potatoes, red onions and cherry tomatoes (with their vines) and place the chicken on the top.
Mix together the lime zest and juice and the smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, yogurt, oil, salt and the remaining ginger and garlic. Slather this mixture over the chicken and return the tin to the oven, cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Take the tin from the oven, remove the vines and squash down the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Stir in the double cream, then return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Taste the sauce and adjust the flavours with salt and lime juice as needed. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving, scattered with the chopped coriander.

Home-Style Chicken Curry (Serves 4)

This is a simple, very mild, curry recipe which is quite dry in consistency but very tasty – adding ginger at the end of cooking really lifts the flavour. I found this recipe in the cookbook, ‘Cook; A Year in the Kitchen with Britain’s Favourite Chefs’, this particular recipe is from Michelin starred Indian chef Atul Kochhar. I have been making it for years – it’s an easy midweek meal which also reheats well. Serve with plain white rice.

For the Pounded Spices:

4 green cardamom pods

2.5 cm cinnamon stick

10-12 black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cloves

Other Ingredients:

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

250g onions, sliced

½ teaspoon garlic, crushed

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

100g tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon tomato purée

600g chicken breast, cut into 2.5cm dice

½ teaspoon garam marsala

2 teaspoons coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

First of all pound the ‘pounded spices’ together in a pestle and mortar.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the pounded spices and the bay leaf, stirring until the spices crackle and start to change colour.
Add the onions and sauté until they are golden brown, then add the crushed garlic. Stir continuously, continue to cook for about 30 seconds and then add the red chilli, coriander and turmeric powders. Mix quickly without letting the spices burn. Add the salt, tomatoes and tomato purée and cook over a low heat, stirring.
When the tomatoes are starting to melt to form a sauce add the chicken and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked. Sprinkle over the garam marsala and simmer to finish cooking.
Finally add the coriander and sprinkle over the ginger.
Serve with white rice.

Chicken Korma (Serves 4)

This is a really lovely, mild, delicately spiced curry from Marcus Wareing’s cookbook,’ Marcus at Home’. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, they are mostly spices which you’ll have in your cupboard. It is important to marinate the chicken, I like to leave mine overnight as I really do think it enhances the flavour, but you could leave it for just a couple of hours.

It is a mild curry, so if you prefer more heat serve it with some chilli flakes sprinkled over. I serve this with Steamed Aromatic Basmati Rice – another recipe from Marcus Wareing (recipe on my Side Dishes page). On the side I like mango chutney (I use the brand ‘Geeta’s’ which is available in most supermarkets) and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or crème fraiche, you could also serve it with some poppadoms!

This recipe does make more curry paste than you need, but you can keep it in the fridge for a quick meal another day.

*A tip: rather than peeling the ginger with a knife try peeling it with a teaspoon, just hold the spoon firmly near the base of its bowl and rub the concave side down the knob of ginger, scraping off the skin. Seriously you will be surprised how much easier it is! (Click here to see the video!)

For the Marinade:

500g skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed into 2.5cm pieces

100ml groundnut or olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated (see tip above)

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Curry Paste:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam marsala

Pinch of flaked sea salt

1 garlic clove, crushed

1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (see note above)

50g ground almonds

For the Curry Sauce:

2 tablespoons groundnut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods, crushed

100ml white wine

400ml tin coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra sprigs to serve

Plain Greek yogurt or crème frâiche to serve

Mango chutney to serve

First marinate your chicken for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight – see note above). Place the chicken in a bowl with 100ml oil, garlic, ginger and few turns of freshly ground black pepper, mix well. Cover and place in the fridge.
To make the paste, simply pound the spices together in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of flaked sea salt, the garlic and ginger. Once combined add 100ml of water and stir in the ground almonds.
To make the curry sauce, heat a large saucepan over a moderate heat with 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, cinnamon and cardamom and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured.
Stir in about 4 tablespoons of the curry paste and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the spice flavours to come out. (The remaining sauce can be kept in the fridge for another day).
Pour in the wine, let it bubble to reduce down. Slowly add the coconut milk, stirring. Finally add the fish sauce, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrot is tender.
Meanwhile heat a dry frying pan over a high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess oil, add to the hot pan and quickly brown the chicken pieces all over – do this in batches as you don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
Add the browned chicken pieces to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Season to taste, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods, sprinkle with the chopped coriander.
Serve with Steamed Aromatic Basmati Rice (recipe below), a dollop of yogurt (or crème frâiche), mango chutney and more chopped coriander. If you want extra heat sprinkle over some chilli flakes.

Carnival Chicken Rice with Plantain (Serves 4 – 6)

A subtly spiced dish, if you want a little more heat, you could serve it with a chilli sauce – I recommend the Encona Original Pepper Sauce which is readily available in supermarkets. The plantain is an important addition to this dish so don’t omit it, as it lifts the whole dish, the plantain must be ripe; it should have a dull yellow colour with patches of black, if you can’t find it in your local supermarket you should be able to buy it from a Indian/African grocery store. This is a recipe that I have ‘tweaked’ from Diana Henry’s ‘A Bird in the Hand’.

200g white long grain rice

Olive oil

250g tomatoes, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped

2 red chillies, halved and finely sliced

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 ripe plantain, peeled and sliced (see note about plantain – above)

3 limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Hot pepper sauce – optional (see note above)

First cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet.
Meanwhile in a frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the tomatoes for about five minutes, then add the garlic, spring onions, chillies, oregano and cumin. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Wipe clean the frying pan and heat another 2 tablespoons of oil, season the chicken thighs and fry on both sides until cooked – a total of about 9 minutes. Once cooked cut into strips and keep warm.
In the same frying pan heat enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan to shallow fry the plantain. Cook the slices on each side until golden brown – it will take about 5 minutes in total. Remove and drain on kitchen roll. Sprinkle with salt and a little juice from one of the limes.
Finally, add the rice, chicken and tomato mixture to a clean frying pan and gently heat through. Stir through the chopped coriander, and about 2 tablespoons of lime juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the chicken rice with the sliced plantain, the remaining limes, quartered and, if desired, some hot pepper sauce on the side.

Spiced Chicken breast with Sweet Potato Mash (Serves 4)

I must admit that before tasting this recipe I had never truly liked sweet potato, but the lime and coriander in this dish cut the sweetness of the potato, it really is delicious. So if you aren’t a lover of sweet potato please try this recipe – you will be converted! This subtly spiced chicken dish is very easy to make, making it a perfect midweek dinner.

4 boneless, skin on chicken breasts

1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 level teaspoon coriander seeds

1 level teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 level teaspoons ground paprika

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons groundnut oil

75g unsalted butter

1 bunch of coriander, chopped – keep a few sprigs back for decoration

Lime wedges, to serve

Sea salt and black pepper

Place the sweet potato in a steamer, sprinkle with salt and steam for about 20 minutes until cooked through.
Meanwhile, place the coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds in a small frying pan and ‘dry-roast’ for about 1 minute until they smell aromatic. Finely grind in a mortar and pestle. Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and the oil, mix to a paste.
Make 2-3 cuts about 5mm deep in each chicken breast. Rub each breast all over with the paste.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking tray in a preheated oven, 200’c fan, for 25 minutes until cooked through.
When the sweet potatoes are cooked through, place in a bowl and mash, adding the butter, remaining lime juice and plenty of black pepper. Stir through the chopped coriander.
Pile the mash in the centre of 4 plates, top with the a chicken breast and garnish with the coriander sprigs and serve with lime wedges.

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