Ingredients
For the tandoori chicken
900g/2lb skinless, boneless chicken (4 x breasts and 4 x thigh fillets)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tsp coriander seeds
4 tsp fennel seeds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
15g/½oz fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp sweet paprika
½ tsp turmeric powder
75g/3oz Greek-style natural yoghurt
1 tbsp sunflower oil, for basting
For the pilau rice
1 tbsp sunflower oil
3 cloves
3 green cardamom pods
5cm/2in cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
350g/12oz basmati rice
½ tsp salt
600ml/1 pint boiling water
For the fresh tomato and coriander chutney
6 tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium-hot red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Method
1. For the tandoori chicken, toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grind the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds together to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
3. Put into a liquidizer with the rest of the ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.
4. Stir this mixture into the chicken and leave to marinate for 2-4 hours.
5. Heat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 9.
6. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and place it onto a rack over a foil-lined roasting tin.
7. Drizzle with the oil and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through.
8.For the rice, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the whole spices and cook gently for one minute until they begin to smell aromatic.
9. Stir in the bay leaf, rice, salt and water, bring to the boil, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the rice from the heat and leave for another 5 minutes.
11. Remove bay leaf.
12. Finally, mix together all the ingredients for the chutney and season to taste with salt. Serve the tandoori chicken with the rice and chutney.
