There are a lot of flavours in common when it comes to
Mexican and Indian cuisine. Yes the extensive use of cumin, coriander, chilli
and tomato come to mind but there are some lesser known ones like tamarind that
feature regularly in both the cuisines. I was fascinated and looked into this
and learnt that when the Spanish colonized Mexico, they introduced flavours
like tamarind, sesame through the Moorish / African influence.
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
400 grams paneer, grated
1 x 400 grams tin of black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
lightly
A fiery hot chilli relish
originally from Yemen but now popular in Israel. It is eaten as an
accompaniment to just about everything. I served it up with roast Maryland
chicken. This recipe is courtesy of Greg and Lucy Malouf from their Moorish
cook book.
4 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 cups fresh coriander, roots
removed
4 – 6 red chillies – I did not
remove the seeds but you can if you don’t like super-hot relish
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
A splash of water
Crush the cardamom pods,
peppercorns and caraway seeds in a mortar and pestle, then sift to remove the
husks. I used a tea strainer.
Wash and thoroughly dry the
coriander. Put the chillies, coriander, garlic, salt and water in a blender,
add the spices and mix well. Tip into a jar and seal with 1 tablespoon olive
oil. It will keep for around a week in the refrigerator.
Makes 100 ml
TRAY BAKED CHICKEN MARYLAND
Tray Baked Chicken Maryland with Zhoug
A chicken Maryland is a cut of chicken which contains both the
drumstick and thigh. It is a great budget-friendly cut to use for a quick roast chicken or in a one-pot wonder meal.
4 pieces chicken maryland cut
legs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Maldon sea salt
Preheat oven to 210oC
or 190o C fan bake. Rub the vegetable oil on the legs and sprinkle
Maldon sea salt liberally. Place legs on a wire rack over an oven tray. Bake in
oven for 30 to 35 minutes until done. Serve with couscous and Zhoug. Serves 4.
Schmaltz is the rendered chicken
fat which collects in the tray. You can spoon into a small bowl and use it to
flavour rice or couscous.
