Anardana Chicken

A delicious dry-style chicken snack with pomegranate powder

Fresh ruby-red pomegranates (anardana) have an intensely ?avoured nectar encasing the seed pods, which burst in crunchy bites with each mouthful. Gentle air-drying makes the taste more like molasses, adding a depth of ?avour and brightness. In this recipe, dried and ground pomegranate is used to infuse the chicken with a delightfully tangy sourness. Slow-cooking the pomegranate powder with the chicken deepens its ?avour even more.

Preparation Times: 5 Min
Marination: 1 hour to overnight
Cooking time: 45 Min
Taste: Medium
Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 medium-sized chicken drumsticks (about 1.5kg)
• 2 cups thick plain yoghurt or Greek yoghurt
• 4 Tbsp pomegranate powder
• 3 Tbsp meat masala powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 Tbsp oil for marinade
• Salt, to taste
• 2 medium lemons, cut into wedges.
• 2 Tbps oil for basting
• 2 Tbps oil for cooking

METHOD

• Carefully prick the chicken drumsticks all over with a fork, to help the marinade soak in.
• Whisk yoghurt in a large bowl, add pomegranate powder, meat masala powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, oil and salt. Stir to combine.
• Add the chicken and mix to coat well. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour, ideally overnight.

Oven method

• Preheat oven to 200ºC.
• Line a large baking tray with a foil to catch any drips. Lay a wire rack over the foiled tray and arrange the marinated drumsticks in the centre of the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes. Just turn it once, basting with oil and return to oven for another 15-20 mins until cooked through.

Stove-top method

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed or electric frying pan on medium heat. Add the chicken drumsticks along with their marinade and fry, turning often, until they are cooked through, about 15–20 minutes. There is no need to add more liquid as the chicken will cook in its own juices and the marinade.
• Serve with lemon wedges and Mint Chutney on the side.

Ruby's Tip: To test if the chicken is ready, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick, making sure you do not hit a bone. When the temperature reaches 74ºC/160ºF the chicken is safely cooked through. Generally speaking,  there should be no pink meat in the centre and the juices should run clear.