Ingredients
25 total- 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5kg)
- 150 g of greek yoghurt
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 4 cm of piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 3 tsp of garam masala
- 2 tsp of ground cumin
- 1 tsp of ground turmeric
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes
- 30 g of unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp of ground coriander
- 700 g of passata
- 2 tsp of honey
- 600 g of floury potatoes, such as maris piper, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 4 tbsp of vegetable or sunflower oil, for roasting
- 1 tsp of mustard seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, skin on, lightly squashed with the back of a knife
- 4 tbsp of double cream
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 0.5 cucumber, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 1 large handful of coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 large handful of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp of pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Method
9 stepsStep 1
Using a sharp knife, make 2 slashes in each chicken leg, then place the whole bird in a bowl. Add the yoghurt, half each of the crushed garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes. Season and rub all over the chicken; marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight.
Step 2
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Step 3
For the sauce, heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins, until soft. Add the remaining half measures of garlic, ginger and dried spices, plus the ground coriander, and cook for 2 mins, until fragrant. Add the passata and honey; blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Loosen with 250ml water.
Step 4
Pour the sauce into a deep roasting tin or ceramic baking dish; place the chicken on top. Cover with foil and roast for 45 mins, then remove the foil and roast for a further 45 mins, until cooked.
Step 5
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 6 mins or until starting to soften. Drain; return to the pan to steam dry.
Step 6
In a separate roasting tin, heat a thin layer of vegetable or sunflower oil over the hob until sizzling. Carefully tip in the potatoes and the mustard seeds; roast for 20 mins. Remove from the oven, turn the potatoes and add the squashed garlic cloves. Roast for 20 mins more.
Step 7
Move the cooked chicken to a warm plate to rest for 10 mins. Stir the cream into the sauce, then return the chicken, ready for serving.
Step 8
For the salad, toss the red onion and lemon juice together with a pinch of salt. Add the cucumber, herbs, pomegranate seeds and olive oil and mix gently.
Step 9
Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce, potatoes and salad. Use leftovers in a sandwich, or keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.