I often do curries for large crowds as they are sure to impress with all of the yummy condiments, salads and flatbreads that go with them. I do however find that I am often left with jars of mango chutney and lime pickles etc that just sit in the fridge for months until I do a clean out. Not so this time! I came up with this idea for the mango chutney and it did not disappoint. Tender thigh fillets marinated in spices and yep, mango chutney. What a masterstroke…..no more out of date chutney in my house 🙂
Prep time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 35 Minutes $-$$ Low to Medium Budget
Serves 4
8 boneless chicken thigh fillets
3 tbs of mango chutney (I used Sharwoods brand)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of ground coriander
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
1/2 cup of toasted slivered almonds
Greek yoghurt and coriander sprigs to serve
For the Pilaf:
2 tbs of olive oil
20gm of butter
11/2 cups of basmati rice, rinsed and drained
21/2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 x 400gm tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
5 cardamom pods, bruised with the flat of your knife
6 whole cloves
2 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of coriander seeds
A good pinch of saffron
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup of currants
100gm of baby spinach
1 cup of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C
In a large bowl combine the chutney, lemon juice and spices and stir to combine. Place the thigh fillets in the bowl and if you’re not too squeamish, massage the marinade into the thighs so they are totally coated in the sticky mixture.
Heat a non stick frypan (if you don’t have non stick use a little oil or the BBQ would be great) to nice and hot and fry the chicken, in batches (you don’t want to overcrowd the pan as you really want the chicken seared), on both sides until golden. Transfer to a lined baking tray and place them in the oven to cook through while you prepare and cook the rice.
Heat a large, heavy based saucepan and add the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted add the onion and fry until soft and then pop in the garlic and ginger. Fry until aromatic and then add the whole spices and continue frying on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir, making sure that all of the grains are coated in the buttery mixture before adding the chickpeas and currents. Pour in the stock, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering pop on a tight fitting lid and allow the rice to absorb the liquid for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, turn the heat off, lift the lid and quickly place the spinach leaves & chopped coriander top of the rice in the pot. Return the lid and allow the rice to steam and the spinach to wilt for at least five minutes. Once the spinach has wilted stir it through the rice with a wooden spoon.
To serve, divide the rice and chickpeas between four serving plates (there may be leftovers) and place two thigh fillets per plate on top. Dollop over the yoghurt and pour over the juices from the chicken pan. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and garnish with fresh coriander sprigs. Enjoy with your family and a glass of your favourite wine 🙂