Pepper Chicken Bhaja

Pepper chilli chicken bhaja? Ok so you know the fajita filling we adore? Well you won’t now. This is better! Tastier, spicier and just boom for wraps, pittas, naans, any flatbreads really!

The chicken is tender and juicy, the pepper adds a lush sweetness. The spices are beautiful accompanied with bread, salad and sauces. Its a beautiful balance of spice which is inviting and moorish! Every mouthful bursts with different flavours from the zingy ginger, tangy lime and heat from chilli! You won’t be disapointed!

I make this both for rice and flatbreads! Its one of those dishes you stick in middle of table…arrange salads and breads and off you go! Everyone helps themselves. It’s delicious. Its filling…in every sense of the word but mostly you will have lots of happy and content faces and mouths!

With mothers day tomorrow its defo going to be a winner and crowd pleaser! Go on make it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp lime/lemon juice
2 boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins cut into medalions
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
2 large onions sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 green chillies thinly sliced
2 inch ginger minced
5 cloves garlic rough chopped
1 sweet red pointed peppers sliced
2 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground coriander
4 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp salt
½ tsp garam masala
Handful fresh coriander chopped
1 tbsp butter

METHOD:

Slice the chicken breasts into 1cm thick medalions.

Mix the chicken pieces with lime juice, salt, turmeric and chilli powder.

Add turmeric, chilli powder and
lime/lemon juice

Let the mixture marinate for minimum 20 minutes while covered but preferably as long as possible.

Drizzle the cooking oil in a large frying pan.

Sauté sliced onions, half the slit green chillies and sugar until golden brown.

Cook on high heat as the sugar will help with caremalisation and add a lovely sweetness. Then remove from pan. Keep aside.

Add a little more oil and then the minced garlic and ginger along with the chicken mixture to the same pan.

Stir fry for few minutes on high heat till chicken is just getting a little char and colour.

Let any water released by chicken evaporate but not dry out.

Now add the chopped tomatoes, sweet pointed red peppers, ground coriander, curry powder and garam masala.

Stir fry for another few minutes on med heat. Here you cook out your spices so they get ‘bhuned’.

Add fried onions and cook for another 5 mins or so on low heat with lid on to ensure the chicken is cooked through. Do not dry out the chicken. It should still be juicy. Add a splash of water if you think its too dry but it is a bhaja and is a dry fry dish.