Cumin and Lemon Chicken with a Jewelled Quinoa Salad and Radish Raita

Edited 16th January 2021

This cumin and lemon chicken marinade locks in the fabulous flavours of the spices and once you’ve combined the ingredients for the marinade, the time-consuming part is done, so it’s a very quick meal to put together! The fiery radishes along with the delicately flavoured quinoa salad work perfectly as an accompaniment to this aromatic chicken dish. It’s a beautiful meal to serve and you’ll love the tangy and slight sweetness of the pomegranate sees with each mouthful!

To make this Cumin and Lemon Chicken…..

Serves 4

• 4 large chicken breasts, scored across the top or 8 medium chicken thighs
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

For the cumin and lemon chicken marinade, you’ll need:

• 3 large tbsp natural yoghurt (preferably Greek)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Juice of a ½ lemon
• Salt & Pepper

Quinoa Salad

• 200g quinoa
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, finely sliced
• 1 small bunch spring onions, finely sliced
• ½ pomegranate, seeds removed (substitute with dried cranberries or raisins if not available)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt & pepper

For the Yoghurt Raita

• 1 small bunch radishes, finely sliced
• 1/2 a large tub of natural yoghurt
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
• 5-6 large fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• Salt & pepper

 

Here’s how…..

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Add the chicken breasts or thighs and ensure the meat is well coated with the marinade. Cover and put in the fridge, preferably for at least an hour but ideally around 4-6 hours (or even overnight)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Place chicken on a large non-stick baking sheet, using up any remaining marinade on the top to protect and retain moisture whilst cooking. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 35-40 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Take out, cover with foil and allow the chicken to rest whilst you made the yoghurt raita accompaniment.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa; place in a pan and cover with water until around 1cm above the quinoa. Bring to the boil and reduce heat immediately and allow to cook, covered for 20mins. The quinoa is cooked once each grain has opened and a “tail” appears. Once cooked, remove from the heat, fluff it up and transfer to a serving bowl, where it can cook slowly.

Now combine the yoghurt raita ingredients, except the fresh mint, in a small bowl. Set aside.

Once the quinoa has cooled, add in the remaining ingredients. Toss well to combine.

Toast the cumin seeds in a frying pan (without any oil) until you can smell the delicate cumin scent but taking care not to scorch the seeds. Set aside

To serve, cut the chicken into thick slices and serve sprinkled with a few toasted cumin seeds. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the radish raita alongside and top with chopped mint. Serve with quinoa salad

 

Alternatives:

This salad works very well with brown rice as an alternative grain to quinoa.

Any salad vegetable can be included in the yoghurt raita, for example; tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and mixed peppers

Any leftover chicken can be eaten the following day with a mixed salad and a homemade hummous

Nutritional Nugget:

Radishes, a root vegetable, have a strong and fiery flavour and high in fibre and water, which means they can keep you fuller for longer without adding many calories to your meal. They are especially good for the liver where they act as a powerful detoxifier, where it will help to detoxify the blood, eliminate toxins and get rid of waste. For more on this underrated vegetable, CLICK HERE

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