Simple made SPECIAL

These DELICIOUS recipes from local chef Karen Dudley's new cookbook show how plain ingredients can be ELEVATED and transformed into SOPHISTICATED dishes

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ROYAL INDIAN CHICKEN

SERVES 5 / PREPARATION & COOKING: 80 MINS / MARINATING: OVERNIGHT

▸ 1 whole chicken (1,8-2,2kg)

▸ salt and white pepper, to taste

MARINADE

▸ 2 onions, roughly chopped

▸ 90ml (6T) sunflower oil, divided

▸ 1T garam masala

▸ ¼c raisins

▸ ½ green chilli

▸ 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

▸ 7cm fresh ginger

▸ 1c chopped fresh coriander, leaves and stalks

▸ juice of 1 lemon

▸ zest of ½ lemon

▶ 1t salt

▸ ¾t ground turmeric

▸ 375ml (1½c) full-cream yoghurt (or more as needed)

GARNISH

▸ 2T roughly chopped raisins

▸ ½c cherries, pitted and halved

▸ 2t poppy seeds

▶ ¼c toasted almond flakes

▸ 20g coriander, roughly chopped

▸ ¼c pomegranate jewels

1 Marinade Fry the onions in 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil over medium-high heat until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garam masala and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

2 Place the spiced onions, together with the remaining ingredients, in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

3 Chicken Spread the mixture all over the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before roasting.

4 Preheat the oven to 160°C. When ready, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off some of the excess. Reserve the leftover marinade. Drizzle over the remaining 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil, season with salt and white pepper, and arrange in a baking tray.

5 Roast in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 180°C and roast for a further 30 minutes, uncovered, basting with the leftover marinade.