AirFryday: Chutney chicken comes to the air fryer
The more you use a machine, the more you get to know it, and the more you get to know an air fryer, the more you realise it's a sort of pot with an element in it. Kind of a two-in-one deal.
That rack at the base of it is there to improve air circulation, and an air fryer is largely about hot air being blown around. If there's a rack, the hot air can reach the underside of the food on the rack.
Essentially, in a pot on the hob, the heat is underneath it, while in an air fryer the element is above. But you can turn the food over, in some cases, and this applies to chicken portions, or for that matter to a whole chicken.
You need to keep your eye on the top of what's cooking to know when it's time to turn it over. You could rely on your machine to tell you it's time to turn the food over, and it does do that, but you're the cook, you're in charge, so you can make up your own mind.
Key to this is that you can open the drawer or door of the air fryer any time you want to. Just open it, have a look and/or prod the meat, and either turn it over or wait for a while. As with cooking in a pot or a roasting pan in the big old oven, the food is done when it's done, not when the machine says so.
The key components of the sauce that constitutes the 'chutney' part of chutney chicken are not only chutney itself, but mayonnaise and tomato sauce/ketchup. A dash of Worcestershire sauce is a natural fit too.
But we can take this further: I added a splash of soy sauce as well, and then decided it needed some brandy. It was the combination of ketchup and mayo that made me think of a Marie-Rose sauce, usually used for avocado Ritz or variations on a theme of a cold starter such as prawns or medallions of lobster in a spiked cold sauce. It's the brandy that makes a Marie-Rose sauce.
So I poured a little brandy into this sauce, tasted it and was happy with the result. You could use Old Brown Sherry instead, or port for that matter.
Traditionally, there's grated onion in it, and I added garlic as well. I made some yellow rice to go with it, mostly because it's a good-looking match, but the turmeric in it does also suit the flavour profile. Chopped coriander makes a nice garnish.
Tony's air fryer chutney chicken
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
½ cup Mrs HS Ball's chutney
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup tomato sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp brandy (or more, I used 2)
1 Tbsp garlic paste
1 small onion, grated
8 chicken thighs and drumsticks
fresh coriander, to garnish
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Turmeric rice
Cucumber and spring onion raita:
⅔ cup diced peeled cucumber
3 slim spring onions
1 fat garlic clove
⅔ cup double cream Greek yoghurt
2 Tbsp white grape vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Method
Mix the chutney, mayo and tomato sauce in a bowl. Add the grated onion and garlic, and the Worcestershire sauce, soy and brandy. Season with salt and black pepper. Roll the chicken portions around in it and marinate for 1 hour or more.
Remove the rack from the bottom of the air fryer basket. Spray the base with cooking oil spray, or brush some oil over it.
Arrange the chicken pieces in it, skin side up, with some of the sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C. Turn the chicken over.
Add the remaining marinade. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken again.
Turn the heat up to 200°C and bake for another 5 minutes.
Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or slicing into a piece of chicken to the bone, to see if it's pink at the centre.
To go with it I made a simple cucumber and spring onion raita, mixed with chilled yoghurt and finished with a splash of vinegar and salt and pepper.
For turmeric rice, make rice in your usual way, but add ½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric to the pot. Garnish with coriander. DM
Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award, in 2021 and 2023.
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Daily Maverick
a day ago
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AirFryday: Chutney chicken comes to the air fryer
That rack at the bottom of an air fryer basket doesn't have to stay in the machine for every meal. For this chutney chicken recipe, take it out and use the 'basket' as a pot. The more you use a machine, the more you get to know it, and the more you get to know an air fryer, the more you realise it's a sort of pot with an element in it. Kind of a two-in-one deal. That rack at the base of it is there to improve air circulation, and an air fryer is largely about hot air being blown around. If there's a rack, the hot air can reach the underside of the food on the rack. Essentially, in a pot on the hob, the heat is underneath it, while in an air fryer the element is above. But you can turn the food over, in some cases, and this applies to chicken portions, or for that matter to a whole chicken. You need to keep your eye on the top of what's cooking to know when it's time to turn it over. You could rely on your machine to tell you it's time to turn the food over, and it does do that, but you're the cook, you're in charge, so you can make up your own mind. Key to this is that you can open the drawer or door of the air fryer any time you want to. Just open it, have a look and/or prod the meat, and either turn it over or wait for a while. As with cooking in a pot or a roasting pan in the big old oven, the food is done when it's done, not when the machine says so. The key components of the sauce that constitutes the 'chutney' part of chutney chicken are not only chutney itself, but mayonnaise and tomato sauce/ketchup. A dash of Worcestershire sauce is a natural fit too. But we can take this further: I added a splash of soy sauce as well, and then decided it needed some brandy. It was the combination of ketchup and mayo that made me think of a Marie-Rose sauce, usually used for avocado Ritz or variations on a theme of a cold starter such as prawns or medallions of lobster in a spiked cold sauce. It's the brandy that makes a Marie-Rose sauce. So I poured a little brandy into this sauce, tasted it and was happy with the result. You could use Old Brown Sherry instead, or port for that matter. Traditionally, there's grated onion in it, and I added garlic as well. I made some yellow rice to go with it, mostly because it's a good-looking match, but the turmeric in it does also suit the flavour profile. Chopped coriander makes a nice garnish. Tony's air fryer chutney chicken (Serves 4) Ingredients ½ cup Mrs HS Ball's chutney ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup tomato sauce 3 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp brandy (or more, I used 2) 1 Tbsp garlic paste 1 small onion, grated 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks fresh coriander, to garnish Salt to taste Black pepper to taste Turmeric rice Cucumber and spring onion raita: ⅔ cup diced peeled cucumber 3 slim spring onions 1 fat garlic clove ⅔ cup double cream Greek yoghurt 2 Tbsp white grape vinegar Salt Pepper Method Mix the chutney, mayo and tomato sauce in a bowl. Add the grated onion and garlic, and the Worcestershire sauce, soy and brandy. Season with salt and black pepper. Roll the chicken portions around in it and marinate for 1 hour or more. Remove the rack from the bottom of the air fryer basket. Spray the base with cooking oil spray, or brush some oil over it. Arrange the chicken pieces in it, skin side up, with some of the sauce. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C. Turn the chicken over. Add the remaining marinade. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken again. Turn the heat up to 200°C and bake for another 5 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or slicing into a piece of chicken to the bone, to see if it's pink at the centre. To go with it I made a simple cucumber and spring onion raita, mixed with chilled yoghurt and finished with a splash of vinegar and salt and pepper. For turmeric rice, make rice in your usual way, but add ½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric to the pot. Garnish with coriander. DM Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award, in 2021 and 2023.
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Green Mung Dhal Mung dhal has an earthiness to it, possibly because it is green. It imparts a greenish hue to the final dish, which somehow makes me feel better for it. The coconut milk adds a welcome sweetness to this dish with layers of flavour from the rest of the ingredients. Serve it with a curry or as is with toasted bread and a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt while you relax on your couch, in socks, as it rains outside. Serves 2 125ml (1/2 cup) mung beans 1 clove garlic ¼ lemon 375ml (1½ cups) water ½ Tbsp coconut oil ¼ tsp black mustard seeds ½ tsp cumin seeds ½ white onion, peeled and diced ½ tsp asafoetida 4 fresh curry leaves 1 fresh whole green chilli, slit from flat side to point but not cut right through, and stalk removed ½ tsp ground turmeric or 0.5cm piece turmeric root, grated A pinch of finely ground black pepper 2 tsp garam masala ±2 tsp salt 1 tomato, diced 3 Tbsp coconut milk Fresh coriander leaves to garnish 1. Rinse the mung beans with water, until the water runs clear (twice). Add the beans, garlic, lemon and water to a multi cooker (for example Instant Pot) or a pressure cooker covered with a lid. Pressure cook on high heat for 20 minutes, then allow to release naturally for 5 minutes. 2. Heat the coconut oil in a small pot, then add the mustard and cumin seeds. Allow them to pop before adding the onion, asafoetida, curry leaves and chilli. Once the onion is soft and translucent, add the ground spices and half the salt. As soon as the plume of aromatics is released, add the tomato. Cook until the tomato has softened, and the onion and tomato mixture has turned into a thick paste. 3. Add the mushy mung beans to the pot with the spicy paste. Mix and allow to reach a gentle simmer. This should happen quite quickly because the beans will still be warm from the pressure cooker. Add the remaining salt and check for taste; dhal is always better with the right amount of seasoning. 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Serves 4–6 ¼ cup dhal (yellow split peas or pink masoor dhal) ½ cup water 2 Tbsp coconut oil ½ medium onion, sliced ¼ tsp grated turmeric root 5 fresh curry leaves ½ tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp black mustard seeds ½ tsp black pepper 1 clove garlic 2–3 tsp coarse salt ¼ tsp asafoetida 2 dried red chillies 1/2 tomato 1–11/2 cups water 1–2 Tbsp brown tamarind paste A few sprigs of fresh coriander 1. Wash the dhal in cold water until the water runs clear. Add the dhal to a saucepan, pour in the 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Drain and set aside. 2. To a small pot, add the coconut oil with the onion, turmeric, curry leaves, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, black pepper, garlic, salt, asafoetida and chillies. Cook over a medium heat until the onion softens and the spices start to release their aroma. You will know the mixture is ready when the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes. 3. Add 1 cup of water to the dhal and aromatics before mixing in half of the tamarind paste. Add more, depending how sour you prefer it, so start with a little and adjust if necessary. Mix well and taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt and amount of water as needed; remember that this should have a broth-like consistency. Bring the rasam to a simmer. 4. Serve in bowls with a sprig of coriander. Veg Dhal This dish was probably invented by accident, but we are not upset about delicious mistakes like this. It's a good dish to make when there is an abundance of vegetables but a limited amount of time or general inclination to cook them individually. This recipe calls for calabash, brinjal and green beans but would forgivingly accept the wiles of any wintry vegetable. Serves 4 ½ cup yellow split peas ¼ tsp white urad dhal (optional) 1-2 cups water 2 Tbsp coconut oil ¼ tsp cumin seeds ¼ tsp black mustard seeds ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds 1 small onion, peeled and finely sliced 1 small tomato, skin on and diced 1–2 fresh green chillies 1 clove garlic, grated ½ tsp grated ginger 2 tsp masala ½ tsp ground turmeric 2–3 tsp salt ⅓ cup green beans, topped and tailed and chopped into thirds 8–10 baby brinjals, with a single incision at the thickest ends ⅓ cup calabash gourd, skinned and roughly chopped into 3cm cubes (these are available from Asian grocers or fresh veg markets) ±1 Tbsp tamarind water (1 Tbsp dried brown tamarind pulp or 1–3 tsp tamarind paste, plus 1 Tbsp warm water, see method) 1. Place the split peas and white urad dhal (if using) in a small pot. Wash 2–3 times with water to clean off any impurities. 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Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
