Chicken in Yoghurt and Coriander Sauce

(You can substitute veggies for the chicken for vegetarians but I wouldn’t!)

Sent to a friend Catherine Hutchinson during the Cov 19 Isolation.  Her husband, son and father-in-law all loved it!  Thank you for the photo of this dish.

About 25 years ago, our nephew Paul from South Africa and his best mate, Japanese Mito, stayed with us in Gordon in Sydney for about six months before I had to kick them out.  Great big gorgeous untidy smelly hairy lugs.  Their friend Stephen, our son Joshua, and the Paul and Mito were eating us out of house and home.   They returned for food, cuddles and laundry, regularly. I missed them terribly when they left!

This was their favourite recipe.  They renamed it “Paul’s Chicken”.  It was a useful bribery tool, in exchange I got certain household chores done.   I found the original recipe in the Sydney Morning Herald decades ago, and modified it a little over the years.  It’s now just called “Mom’s Green Chicken”.

Serves 4:  You can double or triple quantities for larger - or hungrier – family.

YOU NEED A KITCHEN WHIZZER FOR THIS RECIPE! Minimum work, minimum ingredients – I like this!  It contains a small truck load of garlic.  But never fear, the cooking method is such that you won’t exude the effects next day!

Skin 8 chick legs or chicken pieces – (use legs – ask the butcher to skin them, it’s fiddly to do or get your strong men to do it for you!) – then prick them all over with a fork.  In a blender process together 400g of Greek yogurt, one roughly chopped green pepper, 3 (or more to taste) hot chillies, seeded and roughly chopped, a quarter of a bottle of smashed garlic, a teaspoon or two of bottled smashed ginger, a pre-washed bunch of coriander, with the roots and coarser sections of stalks removed, and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Process to a puree and pour over the chicken pieces, stirring to coat.   The house smells deeeeee-viiiiiiine.

You can cook immediately, or leave the chicken to marinate – it’s MUCH better marinated, up to 24 hours in the fridge.  Heat a large heavy based pan, but do not add any oil or fat.   When it is quite hot, pour in the chicken and its marinade - it will sizzle - and stir over high heat for 3 – 4 minutes.   Cover the pan but leave the lid a little ajar to allow steam to escape and reduce the heat to medium low.   Cook for 45 – 60 minutes, stirring from time to time until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced right down to fairly thick curds.   If the sauce is too wet, remove the chicken to a serving dish and boil the sauce hard until it looks right.    Ladle sauce over chicken.  

Serve with steamed jasmine rice, and our favourite, simple South African tomato and onion salad.  (Simple:  dice tomatoes and brown onions in equal quantities, sprinkle over a teaspoon of sugar, and pour some plain old fashioned brown vinegar over – to about half way up. You can add herbs, parsley, basil or more coriander. Stir.)

If there is any leftover – unlikely! – it’s even better the next day, so I suggest, make double anyway.  It also freezes well, I try to have a container in the fridge for Joshua Emergencies.  It’s the  meal our son Joshua would ask for before facing a firing squad.  I hope you enjoy.