Name: Tandoori-ish chicken with lime-pickled cucumber
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 4 large or 8 small chicken thighs skin-on and bone-in; 700ml full-fat natural yogurt; 4 large garlic cloves grated; 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and grated; 1 heaped tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp hot chilli powder; 1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 lemon juiced; pilau rice to serve; 3 limes juiced; 1 tsp sugar; 1 red chilli finely chopped; 1 large cucumber halved, seeds removed and cut into half moons; ½ small red onion finely chopped; 300ml Greek yogurt; ½ tsp ground cumin; 1 small bunch of coriander; 1 small bunch of mint; pinch of sugar

Tandoori-ish chicken with lime-pickled cucumber served on a plate

4 large or 8 small chicken thighs
skin-on and bone-in
700ml full-fat natural yogurt
4 large garlic cloves
grated
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
peeled and grated
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp hot chilli powder
1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 lemon
juiced
pilau rice
to serve

For the cucumber pickle

3 limes
juiced
1 tsp sugar
1 red chilli
finely chopped
1 large cucumber
halved, seeds removed and cut into half moons
½ small red onion
finely chopped

For the yogurt

300ml Greek yogurt
½ tsp ground cumin
1 small bunch of coriander
1 small bunch of mint
pinch of sugar

Method

step 1
Slash the chicken with a sharp knife. Mix the yogurt, garlic, ginger, tomato purée, spices, lemon juice and 1½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
step 2
For the pickle, mix together the lime juice, sugar, chilli and 1 tsp salt, then toss with the cucumber and red onion. Chill until ready to use or up to 1 hr.
step 3
Blitz the yogurt, cumin and herbs with a pinch of salt until smooth. Chill until needed.
step 4
Shake off the excess marinade and put the chicken on a baking tray, reserving the marinade. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then once at temperature, change the setting and heat the grill to high. Grill the chicken, skin-side-up, for 10-15 mins or until beginning to blacken a little. Change the setting back to an oven heat of 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Transfer the chicken to a roasting tin, then brush with the reserved marinade and cook for 20 mins. Serve with the cucumber, yogurt, cucumber pickle and pilau rice.