Fragrant Cardamom Grilled Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 3 lb pound chicken
- 2- 3 inch piece of fresh ginger root
- 12 pods green cardamom
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic
- fresh green chillies
- 2 cups yogurt
DIRECTIONS
- Peel and sliver finely a 2 to 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root.
- Roast 12 pods of green cardamom in a dry pan over medium-high heat till they are fragrant - crush them in the mortar and remove the green fibrous pieces to leave only the black seeds, ground finely.
- Crush 1 generous teaspoon of sea salt with 3 peeled cloves of garlic and fresh green chillies to taste (2-3, seeded, if you want it mild; I use 5 with their seeds in) in the mortar. Mix the spices with 2 cups of yoghurt (I prefer full-cream Greek style, but lowfat will do).
- Split a 3 lb chicken at the backbone and give it a good whack on the breastbone to open it out as flat as you can.
- Massage it all over, and under the breast skin also (Indian cooks skin the chicken), with the yoghurt spice mixture.
- Let it marinate in a cool place for 2-3 hours.
- Grill it breast side up, over the coals or under the oven grill, for 30 minutes, then turn it and give it another 20-30 minutes.
- Enjoy the fragrance of the cardamom.
- Turn the breast side towards the grill in the oven again for the last 10 minutes.
- Test for doneness, but be careful not to let it char too much if you want to cook it some more.
- Serve with a banana raita (see my raita recipes) and a cool and hot mint chatni (recipe follows).