This is a fresh dish with a lot of body, with the tamarind bringing smoky, sweet and tangy notes. Tamarind is a brilliant ingredient that can be taken in any direction – sweet or savoury. You can buy it in paste form, but I prefer using a block of semi-dry tamarind flesh that you soak in hot water and push through a sieve. Serve the chicken mix in lettuce to create a fun sharing experience, with everyone around the table tucking in.
Chicken, aubergine and tamarind lettuce cups with quick pickled vegetables
Serve these with rice or noodles.
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
For the quick pickle
90ml vinegar – I use apple cider, but any light vinegar will do
1½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
150g carrot, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
100g mooli (AKA daikon), trimmed and cut into matchsticks
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
For the filling
1 aubergine
2 tbsp oil – rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
½ white onion, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1cm piece ginger, grated
350g chicken meat (breast, leg or a combination), finely minced
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground pimento (AKA allspice)
1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes, or regular chilli flakes
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp coconut or cider vinegar
3 tbsp tamarind paste
2 little gem lettuces, washed and leaves separated
For the quick pickle, heat 90ml water and the vinegar in a small saucepan until it starts bubbling, then take off the heat, add the salt and sugar, and stir until they dissolve.
Put the carrot, mooli, garlic cloves, onion and aromatics in a sterilised container, pour the hot vinegar mixture over the top, stir and leave to cool. Once cooled, store the pickle in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a month, though it is ready to use straight away.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Pierce the aubergine once each at the bottom and top, then bake for 40 minutes, until soft all over. Blister the skin over a gas flame until blackened and smoking (or use a blowtorch or barbecue). Once the skin is black and the inside soft, transfer to a container, cover and leave to steam for 20 minutes. Peel off the charred skin (it’s fine if you miss a few small bits), then finely chop the flesh, retaining any juices that leak out.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat, then add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, for five minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another four minutes, then add the chicken and cook until the meat is cooked on the outside. Add the spices, stirring them in to coat the chicken, and cook for a minute or two, until they smell fragrant. Add the chopped aubergine, cook for five minutes, then stir through the sugar, followed by the soy, vinegar and tamarind paste. Cook for another five minutes, stirring regularly – if the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of water to loosen. Taste for seasoning, then turn off the heat.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter, and put it on the table with a big bowl of the chicken mix and a bowl of the drained pickled vegetables. To serve, spoon a generous dessertspoonful of the chicken mix on to a leaf, top with some of the pickle, fold up and eat straight away, with some rice or noodles alongside.
