Main Meals

Spatchcock chicken in a tomato vindaloo potjie with radish pickle

4
Easy
10 minutes
1 12 hours
Wine/Spirit Pairing
Paul Cluver Riesling 2012

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Ingredients

Method
  • 3 T ghee
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 ginger 4 cm piece, finely chopped
  • 4 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1 t mustard seeds
  • 8-10 Curry leaves
  • 1 t dried chilli flakes
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 T garam masala
  • 1 ½ t turmeric
  • 400 g tomatoes 1 can, blended until smooth
  • 120 ml white wine vinegar
  • 240 ml water
  • 1 whole free-range chicken
  • Salt, to taste
  • Lemon juice, for serving
  • For the radish pickle
  • 60 ml red wine vinegar
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • 150 g radishes, quartered
  • 1 red onion, sliced into half rings

Heat the ghee in a potjie or a medium-sized, flat-bottomed, cast-iron pot over low-heat coals. Add the onion and brown. If cooking on the stove, cook over a low heat.

Add the garlic, ginger, cardamom, mustard seeds, curry leaves, chilli flakes and cinnamon and mix to combine.

Cook for 2 minutes, then add the garam masala and turmeric. Allow the spices to toast for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, vinegar and water.

Bring to a simmer.

To spatchcock the chicken, cut through the breast bone with a heavy chef’s knife. Add the whole chicken to the pot. Cover and cook, undisturbed, for 11⁄2 hours, occasionally spooning the sauce over the chicken to make sure it's well coated.

Season to taste with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with the radish pickle.

To make the radish pickle, place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 2 hours in the liquid.

Cook’s note: When the coals have ashed over, they’re ready for the potjie. Keep the coals at a low heat by adding new coals throughout the cooking process. If cooking the chicken in an oven, cook at 180°C for 1½ hours.

Discover more Indian-inspired recipes here.

Abigail Donnelly

Recipe by: Abigail Donnelly

Nothing excites Woolworths TASTE's Food Director quite as much as the challenge of dreaming up recipes with innovative new foods – or the thrill of creating deliciousness on a plate with the humblest of ingredients. With Abi by your side, you’ll be a cooking expert in no time at all.

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