Spiced chicken with coriander chutney

THESE delicious marinated chicken breasts are griddled until golden and served with a punchy coriander chutney.

The recipe serves four.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken:

100g coriander stalks

250g tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp tomato puree

1½ tsp toasted cumin, ground

1½ tsp toasted coriander seeds, ground

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3cm cube ginger root, peeled and chopped

½ green chilli, deseeded and chopped

4 chicken-breast or thigh fillets (skin removed)

2 tablespoons cooking oil

For the chutney:

2 green chillis, halved, deseeded and chopped

juice of 4 limes

4 garlic cloves

4cm cube ginger root, peeled and chopped

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

2 tsp caster sugar

METHOD:

First cut the leaves off the coriander stalks and set them aside for the chutney.

Put everything for the chicken – except the chicken and the oil – into a food processor with half of the coriander stalks (discard the rest). Whizz to a rough puree.

If the chicken breasts are very thick, cut them in half horizontally. Whether you're using breasts or thighs, pierce them all over with the point of a sharp knife. Put them in a dish and pour the pureed tomato mixture all over them. Turn them over in the marinade, cover with clingfilm and chill for two hours or overnight, turning over them over every so often.

Put all the ingredients for the chutney, including the reserved coriander leaves, into a food processor and whizz. Taste – you might need more lime juice. Scrape into a bowl.

Heat a griddle until very hot. Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade and brush them on each side with the oil. Cook on high heat for about three minutes, turning once and moving the pieces round the griddle so that they cook evenly. Turn down the heat and cook for a further two minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (but not overcooked – it should still be moist).

Serve with the coriander chutney, a bowl of cucumber raita and some rice.