Indian food does not have to be difficult to cook. Whilst this is not a traditional Indian meal, the basic ingredients, ginger, turmeric and curry powder lend an authentic taste to the dish.

This is definitely one o the easiest dishes to cook. With a little prep time and a few spices, you can create and unusual, exotic dish in very little time. The great thing about this dish is the wonderful aromas that fill the kitchen during cooking. Just close your eyes and you can imagine you are in India. The chicken needs to marinade for a few hours before cooking, so preparation needs to be done well before the meal is to be served. If time is an issue, you can marinade the chicken overnight, but a minimum of three hours.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A saucepan
• A baking dish with a lid
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken cut into four pieces
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 2 table spoons peanut oil
• 2 oz butter or ghee
• 6 oz natural yoghurt
• 6 0z thing cream
• salt and pepper
• Fresh coriander
• A large bottle of wine

I know the list of ingredients is longer than I usually make, but the combination of spices is important. This makes a very mild curry, but if you prefer something a little stronger, just add a tablespoon of chili powder.

Mix the spices together in a bowl, peel and crush the garlic. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces and arrange in a baking tray or casserole dish with a lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, sprinkle a table spoon of the spice mix over the chicken. Pour the oil over, add the crushed garlic clove and massage the spices and garlic into the chicken pieces. Cover with the lid and place in a refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

When you are ready to begin cooking, open the wine, pour a glass and sip. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a small piece of butter or ghee on each piece of chicken and put in the oven uncovered. Cook for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, chop the onions, and fry in a little butter or ghee over a low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes to soften the onion. Mix the remaining spices together with the cream and yoghurt. Whet the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes, take out of the oven, pout the onion over and then pot the spice mix on top. Cover the casserole with the lid and put back in the oven for another 30-40 minutes, until done. If you don’t have a lid, aluminum foil will do. When complete, garnish with a little fresh chopped coriander.

Serve with basmati rice and mango chutney.

Bon Apetit!