CHICKEN ACHARI

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6.

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, rub them with a little olive oil. Bake them for 70 minutes then remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a small frying pan over a high heat. Add the bacon and stir until crisp, then remove from the heat.

Slice the top quarter off each potato and scoop the soft insides into a bowl. Mix in the cheddar, soft cheese, garlic and onion granules, bacon, sriracha, chillies and black pepper, reserving a tablespoon each of the bacon, cheddar and chillies.

Spoon the potato mix back into the skins and top each with the reserved ingredients. Bake for a further 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and top with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of chives.

HHHHHFor years I thwarted any attempt to use chicken thighs because I liked an uncomplicated bite and the thought of gristle and bone touching my teeth was an absolute no-no. I thought I was alone with my fussiness until I met Paul, who also had a similar phobia. However, this recipe won us round because after years of totally disregarding chicken thighs, we noticed that you can buy boneless ones. And what a difference in taste. A breast is fine for most things but chicken thighs lend themselves to a dish like this – the more ‘meaty’ flavour works well with the spices and really lifts the dish. 1 onion, finely sliced

3cm ginger, peeled and grated 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1½ tbsp tomato purée

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp onion powder

2 tsp hot chilli powder

750g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

100g yoghurt chopped fresh coriander, to serve

Place a large pan over a medium heat and spray with some oil. Add the mustard, fennel and cumin seeds then fry for about a minute until they start to sizzle.

Add the whole chillies to the pan, then the sliced onion and fry until it has softened and is just turning golden. Add the ginger and garlic and mix well. Stir in the tomato purée, turmeric, onion and chilli powders then cook for a few more minutes before adding the chicken to the pan and stirring gently until well coated.

HHPour in 100ml of water and bring to the boil, then cover the pan and reduce to a simmer over a low heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and add the yoghurt, stirring gently.

Keep stirring now and again for another 5 minutes or so, then serve, sprinkled with chopped coriander.

HHNOTES FROM PAUL Don’t be tempted to use fat-free or low-fat yoghurt for this – IT WILL SPLIT! But there’s not a lot of the full-fat stuff per person so don’t worry too much about the calories – it’ll be worth it, I promise. If you’re not a fan of food being too hot, reduce the amount of chilli powder or the number of chillies to something you’re more comfortable with. Chicken breasts would work well in this too – just cut them in half before you put them in the pan.