Preparation time
overnight
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 4
Dietary
Vegetarian
By Chet SharmaFrom Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the yoghurt
- 1kg/2lb 4oz live cultured plain yoghurt
For the marinated chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skin removed (150g/5½oz each)
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 3 tbsp ginger paste
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
For the lahori marinade
- 30g/1oz garam masala
- 10g garlic paste
- 20g/¾oz ginger paste
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 250g/9oz strained yoghurt (from recipe above)
- 50g/1¾oz whipping cream
For the kebab masala
- 10g dried fenugreek leaves, lightly toasted
- 1g dried mint
- 2g black salt
- 9g chaat masala
- 2g green mango powder
- 2g kashmiri chilli powder
- 2g garam masala
- 200g/7oz salted butter, plus extra melted butter for basting (or ghee for basting)
For the yoghurt whey sauce
- 600g/1lb 5oz yoghurt whey (from the recipe above)
- 300g/10½oz whipping cream
- 60g/2¼oz cashew nuts, roasted until light golden
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed
- 50g/1¾oz fresh root ginger, peeled, finely chopped and crushed into a paste, plus 1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
- 1 tsp finely chopped coriander stalks
- 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
- salt
Method
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To make the yoghurt, place a few layers of kitchen paper in a sieve, pour in the yoghurt and place over a bowl. Place in the fridge overnight. Once strained, set aside the strained yoghurt and the whey.
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To make the marinated chicken, mix together all of the ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl. Rub this mixture into the chicken, making sure it is evenly coated, and marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
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To make the lahori marinade, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Rub onto the chicken, coating it evenly again. Leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
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To make the kebab masala, grind the fenugreek, mint and black salt into a coarse powder. Mix in the remaining spices and set aside in an airtight container. Set aside the butter.
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To make the yoghurt whey sauce, bring the yoghurt whey, cream, cashew nuts, cardamom and crushed ginger to a rapid boil in a saucepan. Cook until the cashew nuts are soft enough to mash – this should take around 5 minutes over a high heat. Remove the cardamom pods and transfer the remaining sauce to a blender. Blend for 5 minutes at the highest speed and adjust, if needed, with hot water until the texture is the consistency of double cream. Season with salt and set aside.
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The chicken is best cooked on a barbecue so light the coals in good time. Once the coals are at temperature, skewer the chicken and place on the barbecue with the skin-side of the chicken facing up. Cook for 5–7 minutes, or until the marinade has charred to a speckled, deep brown colour. Turn the chicken over and baste with a little ghee or melted butter. Cook for a further 5–7 minutes. Alternatively, cook the chicken under a grill set to maximum until well charred, turning halfway through.
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Test that the chicken is cooked by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast – it should read at least 70C to confirm it is cooked through. Remove from the heat, baste again with ghee or butter, and leave to rest in a warm place for a few minutes before carving each breast into three or four slices.
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Heat up the yoghurt whey sauce and add the chopped ginger, coriander stalks and green chilli. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan, remove from the heat and add the kebab masala mixture. Place the chicken on warm plates. Pour over the yoghurt whey sauce and finish with a couple of generous tablespoons of the kebab masala butter. Serve immediately.
