Spicy chicken and chickpea curry bake

This curry is made in an unusual way – the ingredients are combined in a saucepan first, then transferred to the oven. Once the dish is in the oven, you can forget about it until the timer bleeps. Serve with rice or nan, and yogurt.

SERVES TWO INGREDIENTS

8 skinless chicken pieces on the bone (4 thighs and 4 drumsticks)

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

4 green cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

10 curry leaves

2 small green chillies, finely chopped

2 onions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp garam masala

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 x 400g tin chickpeas

For the marinade

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Juice of 1 lime

METHOD

Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle over the marinade ingredients. Rub the chicken pieces so that they are well covered with the marinade. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in an ovenproof saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Stir in the curry leaves and green chillies and cook for few seconds more, then add the onions, turn the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.

Stir the garlic into the saucepan and cook for two minutes, then push the onions to the side of the pan. Increase the heat to high, add the marinated chicken and cook for three to four minutes, or until it takes on some colour.

Stir in the salt, ground cumin and garam masala.

Next, tip in the chopped tomatoes and chickpeas, plus their canning liquid, and mix well.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, then remove the lid or foil and bake, uncovered, for a further 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe from Chetna’s Healthy Indian by Chetna Makan (Mitchell Beazley, £20)