Chicken thighs baked in almond & lemon yogurt

Name: Chicken thighs baked in almond & lemon yogurt
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 cardamom pods; ½ tsp caster sugar; 200 g tub No.1 Natural Strained Greek Yogurt; 50 g ground almonds; 1 lemon, juice; 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped; 30 g ginger, peeled and finely grated; Large handful coriander, leaves and stems finely chopped; 8 British chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in

Roopa Gulati's recipe is popular across northern India, and although simple to make, its roots lie in the opulence of regal Mughal cooking. The herby, lemony chicken makes a striking contrast to the creaminess of cooling yogurt, while green chillies lend sharpness, softened by the richness of ground almonds. The addition of red onions, lightly pickled with lemony juices from the chicken as it bakes, provides a lovely bite to the finished dish.

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High protein1 of your 5 a day

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook35 mins
Total time50 mins
PlusMarinating

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8 cardamom pods
½ tsp caster sugar
200g tub No.1 Natural Strained Greek Yogurt
50g ground almonds
1 lemon, juice
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
30g ginger, peeled and finely grated
Large handful coriander, leaves and stems finely chopped
8 British chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in

For the onions

2 red onions, thinly sliced
½ lemon, juice
1 tbsp clear honey, warmed
4 large cloves garlic, flattened in their skins
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Split the cardamom pods with a sharp knife and remove the seeds. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the seeds with the sugar until coarsely ground.
Spoon the yogurt into a large mixing bowl and add the cardamom, ground almonds, lemon juice, chillies, ginger, and coriander. Season with salt and set aside.
Using kitchen scissors, trim any excess skin from the chicken thighs. Dip in the lemon and almond yogurt, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight in the fridge.
In a medium bowl, mix the onions with the lemon juice, honey, garlic cloves and oil. Season generously with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, then spread the mixture over a shallow roasting tin, large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Remove the chicken from its marinade, discarding any excess. Arrange each thigh, skin-side up, over the onions.
Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the juices run clear, there is no pink meat and the skin starts to brown. Serve with hot naans, if liked.

Cook’s tip

You could use skinless thighs for this recipe. My mother always removed the skin whenever she cooked chicken Indian-style, but I left it on for this recipe, as it adds flavour and helps keep the chicken tender as it cooks.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe