Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Chicken
1/2 cup prepared falafel mix
Vegetable oil for frying
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, tenders removed (about 1-1/2 pounds)
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Salad
3 cucumbers, diced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
1/4 cup fresh dill fronds, coarsely chopped
1/4 red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Tip: Make the salad while the chicken bakes.
The Chicken
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a small rack on a baking sheet. Put the falafel mix in a pie plate or other shallow bowl. Heat about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper to taste and coat with the falafel mix, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the chicken smooth side down in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until nicely browned, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the prepared rack. Bake until firm but slightly springy when pressed, 6 to 8 minutes.
The Salad
Toss the cucumber, mint, dill, onion, garlic and salt in a small bowl. Finely grate the zest from the lemon into the salad and add the lemon’s juice too. Stir the yogurt into the salad.
Arrange chicken on a platter and serve with yogurt salad or put a chicken breast on each of 4 plates with the salad and serve.
Cook’s Note
Don’t toss those chicken tenders! Save them and thread on skewers for kabobs, pan-fry for burritos or stir-fry.
Indian Chicken Kebabs
Serves 4
700g/1lb 6oz chicken breast, cut into 2cm/1in cubes
250ml/8fl oz Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cloves
2-4 dried red chillies
6 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
Half a cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons mango chutney, any large pieces of fruit chopped up
Pinch of saffron, soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water
Bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
In a dry pan, toast spices gently until they start to smoke, then grind to a powder. Mix spices, garlic, ginger, salt, saffron and chutney in a glass bowl. Then mix in yogurt, add chicken and stir, making sure each piece is covered in marinade, cover and put in fridge.
Leave for about two hours then thread on to four skewers — with peppers and onions, if you like. Grill or barbecue until cooked through. Scatter with coriander, and serve with naan bread, wedges of lemon, and a cucumber and mint salad.