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Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon Rice and Raita
- Steps
- Ingredients
Steps
- For the Raita, combine the cucumber, carrot and onion in a small bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the yoghurt and coriander and mix until evenly combined. Transfer to a small serving dish and set aside in the fridge.
- For the Lemon Rice, bring 1 ½ litres water to the boil.
- Add the washed rice, 2 sprigs curry leaves and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the rice until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the excess water from the saucepan.
- Cover the saucepan with a folded wet tea towel then cover with the lid on. Place saucepan onto a very low heat, taking care not to burn the tea towel, and allow to cook for a further 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the rice to a shallow baking tray. Remove the stem from the curry leaves and stir the curry leaves through the rice. Place into the freezer until cold but not frozen.
- Heat a medium frypan over medium heat. Add the cumin, mustard seeds and the curry leaves from 1 sprig and cook until fragrant. Add the oil and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the onions and ginger and cook until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add asafoetida and turmeric and stir through. Add the lemon zest and juice and chillies.
- Add the rice and stir until evenly mixed. Add the curry leaves from 1 sprig and stir through. Add the sugar and salt, to taste.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with coriander and set aside.
- For the Lemon Pepper Chicken, remove the breast fillets from the spatchcocks and set aside. Remove the Marylands, de-bone and set aside. Chop the bones and the carcass into small pieces.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the chopped bones, season with salt and cook over high heat until browned. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil and rendered chicken fat from the saucepan into a medium frypan and set aside for cooking the spatchcock.
- Add 3 cups water to the saucepan with the bones and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow the chicken stock to simmer gently.
- Place the frypan of rendered chicken fat over medium high heat. Add the spatchcock portions, season with salt and cook until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cumin, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves to the pan and toast until fragrant.
- Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the pepper and coriander and stir until fragrant then add the lemon juice and the zest.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, turning the chicken in the pan until coated in the spices and sauce in the pan appears split. Add 2 cups of the hot chicken stock, sugar and salt, to taste.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and liquid in the pan has reduced and is sticky. Season with salt to taste then remove from the heat. Transfer to a large serving bowl or plate.
- To serve, line a large serving board with a banana leaf. Add the bowls of Lemon Pepper Chicken, Lemon Rice and Raita.