This is a very simple chicken that comes out the crispy chicken and delicious with juicy mango flavour. First, grate your peeled mango and put it in a bowl and add the pickling ingredients to it mix it with a metallic spoon to get a yellow slurry of sweet pickled flavours. If you are making this at home I will recommend you use a mango that is not too ripe. Add some spice from chilli powder, some mustard seed, some oil, some vinegar, salt and some sugar.

Transfer to a jar where it is going to stay for about 2 to 3 hours you can keep for a long time in your fridge so it is worth making big batches. This is the key ingredients for making the chicken quasi. While the mango pickle is marinating, we are going to fry the chicken first to get a really gorgeous crispy brown on it and then bake it with the mango Akshar.

The key ingredients are to get your chicken thighs on the bone with the skin on in a bowl and add to it garlic and smoked paprika then using your hands toss it to make sure it is mixed in the spices. When the chicken is ready to fry, on getting it on to a pan overheat to get the skin nice and crispy. Toss and turn the chicken with your tongs to make sure it is nicely brown. The trick now once we have it nice and golden brown is to get it into the mango Akshar which has got spices added to it all that wonderful sour acidity as well but remember it also has got sweetness with that mango.

So let’s get that chicken out and drain it and mix it with the mango akshar. Put the chicken in a bowl and to it pour the mango akshar and mix it well using a spoon then transfer the chicken to a lined baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. And bake it for about 4 minutes so that the chicken cooks all the way through and the mango to have the chance to caramelize the outside as well.

After 40 minutes get the chicken out of the oven and you will get a sizzling crispy chicken coated in a beautiful mango situation and it is pretty much quasi chicken. Serve it with sweet potatoes and some tender stem broccoli but before that, you can do some taste test. The mango akshar makes the chicken tender.

Ingredients;

  • 1 large free-range chicken, cut into pieces
  • 4 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 400g jar grated mango atchar
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Mashed sweet potato, to serve
  • Steamed greens, to serve
  • Coriander leaves, to serve

For the mango atchar;

  • 1 mango, finely grated (approx. 250g)
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tbsp chilli powder
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar

Instructions;

  1. To prepare the mango atchar, place all the ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Cover and leave to stand for 2-3 hours or up to 3 days.
  2. Preheat the oven at 200˚C.
  3. Place the chicken portions in a large bowl and add in the paprika and garlic. Season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper and toss the chicken pieces until evenly coated.
  4. Heat a large deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and fry the chicken pieces in batches (being careful not to overcrowd the pan) until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
  5. Add the chicken to a clean bowl and pour over the grated mango atchar, toss to coat completely and arrange the chicken pieces on a lined baking tray.
  6. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and browned.
  7. Serve warm with the mashed sweet potato, steamed greens and coriander leaves.