Curried chicken casserole

Baked chicken, paneer and capsicum are served up with fluffy couscous.

Curried chicken casserole. Credit: Mary makes It Easy / Geoff George

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml) yogurt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1½ tbsp curry powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 300–350 g paneer, cut into large dice
• 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), large dice
• 1¼ cups (310 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup (250 ml) couscous
• ¼ cup sultanas (golden raisins), optional
• ¼ cup chopped coriander (cilantro)
• Mango chutney, plain yoghurt and/or chilli sauce, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and the juice of half of the lemon. Add 1½ tablespoons of oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add in the chicken and paneer and toss well to combine and evenly coat with the marinade. Cover and set in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
2. Remove the chicken and paneer from the fridge and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes to take the chill of the fridge off.
3. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Add the tomatoes, onion and capsicum (bell pepper) into a 23 cm x 33 cm (9 inch x 13-inch) casserole dish and drizzle with 3 teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Remove the chicken and paneer from the marinade, leaving any excess behind, and add to the pan.
4. Drizzle the top with a little more oil and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. If you’d like a little extra golden-brown colour on your chicken, turn the grill (broiler) to high for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
5. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in the microwave or over low heat until steaming.
6. Remove the chicken from the pan, tent with aluminium foil, and set aside to rest. Scatter the couscous and raisins into the pan over the vegetables and paneer and pour over the hot chicken broth. Stir, cover the pan with a piece of foil or a weighted down sheet pan, and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the couscous to cook and absorb all the broth.
7. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous, add the chicken back into the pan, scatter with the cilantro and a squidge of lemon juice. Serve with mango chutney and yogurt on the side, if desired.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.