WOOD FIRED TANDOORI CHICKEN AND COCONUT RICE

Tandoori spiced succulent juicy wood fired chicken is a gorgeous dinner, simple and quick to make with minimal effort for such a rewarding dinner, served with rice cooked in coconut milk which gives the rice a sweet sumptuous depth of flavour, this is a winner dinner even more so as the rice virtually cooks itself while the tandoori skewers only need turning once.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 15 minutes

 

TANDOORI MARINADE PASTE

(cooking time 5-7 minutes)

 

4-6 chicken breasts large dice

100ml coconut oil

1 onion fined chopped

4 tomatoes chopped

1 tbsp palm sugar

1/2 tin coconut cream

1" fresh ginger grated

1 clove garlic grated

1 tsp sweet paprika 

1 tsp fresh turmeric grated 1/2 if powdered

 1/4 tsp cayenne chilli powder

6 cardamon pod seeds 

1 tsp fenugreek

3 kaffir lime leaves

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 pinch salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

 

Heat the oil in a pan and gently cook the onions for 10 minutes keeping them translucent, add the palm sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes, now add the chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, lime leaves and coconut cream, bring to a very slow simmer.

   

In a coffee grinder, grind all the whole spices coriander seeds, fenugreek and cardamom seeds add to the pan along with the dry spices paprika, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes until you have a loose paste.  Coat the chicken with the paste and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, over night even better.  When ready to cook skewer the chicken.

This is the time to start cooking the rice, this will only take 15 minutes.  The chicken will take around 5-7 minutes and a few minutes resting time.  

If your not cooking on a grill over a wood fire pit you can use a griddle on the stove or place a pizza stone in a pre-heated oven 230 degrees.  Once you place the skewers on the grill do not turn the for a couple of minutes, you want the chicken to seal and char adding all that extra character and flavour, the skewers will lift off easily when ready to turn.  Once turned cook for further two minutes then move to a cool part of the grill to rest before serving.

 COCONUT RICE INGREDIENTS

(cooking time 15 minutes)

 

1 can as measurement of rice

1 can of coconut milk

1 1/2 cans chicken stock 

1/2 tsp ground all spice

1 red pepper diced

10 baby plum tomatoes halved

1/2 cinnamon stick

1" ginger

1 scotch bonnet chilli whole

coriander to garnish

1 tsp red dried chillies

 

Rinse the rice and place in a lidded saucepan add the rest of the ingredient and give a gently stir to combine, do not over stir as this will make the rice stodgy.  Pop the lid on and bring to a simmer, turn down to a low simmer and DO NOT TAKE THE LID OFF, leave to cook for 8 minutes, then take of the heat and again do not touch the lid, leave to finish cooking in its own steam for a further five minutes, that’s it perfect cooked rice ready to serve.  If you this is easy to tell as you will have steam holes all over the rice, serve with the charred chicken tikka and flat breads with a mint and cucumber yogurt dip.