Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

And to be more specific – chicken with deliciously refreshing Greek yoghurt, spring onions, green chili and mint.

I have reached a point of being really fed up with the heavy winter/Christmas/holiday food. I usually am around this time of year. Spring always arrives much earlier in my kitchen than it does outside. This dish is particularly refreshing and light. I am a big fan of yogurt sauces. They are so fresh and so versatile. You can add herbs, spices, garlic, vegetables and create the most amazing and multipurpose sauces, dips, spreads – anything you like! Based on a recipe from nigella.com.

U need (serves 3)

500 grams of chicken breast

juice of 2 lemons

500 grams of Greek yogurt

2 handfuls of chopped spring onions

1 fresh green chili

3 cloves of garlic

half a cucumber, peeled en cut into small cubes

1 handful of freshly chopped mint

olive oil

How to make it

Cut each chicken breast in 3, lengthways so that you have thinner, smaller pieces. Put them into a freezer bag, or dish, with the lemon juice and about 3 tablespoons of oil, and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, get on with the sauce.

Tip the yogurt into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped spring onions, reserving a little to sprinkle on top later. Deseed and chop the chili finely and add it too. Peel and mince the garlic into the yogurt and also add the peeled cubed cucumber and most of the freshly chopped mint, reserving a little to sprinkle on top later.

Mix all these ingredients together, and taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper if needed. Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan to heat up.

Take the chicken out of the marinade and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden outside in parts, and wholly cooked through. At the last minute, tip in the lemony marinade to add sharpness and gloss.

Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish, and scrape the yogurt mixture into a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining chopped herbs.

Perfect in combination with basmati rice.