Healthy Coronation Chicken

Coronation Chicken. Such an old school favourite. Created in 1953, for the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, this dish of cold chicken, creamy curry and spice sauce remains a firm favourite for sandwich fillings across the nation!

I’ve always been intrigued, but never a fan. But lots of people are – so I have created a fresh, healthy version that I actually absolutely love. And I want share it with you. There are some simple swaps – such as using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and the addition of flaked almonds and raisins to add an extra dimension to the dish; but really this is about letting the spices and flavour come through and not being diluted in tablespoons of mayonnaise!

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:

2 chicken whole breast fillets
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp. rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
Inch of ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. tomato puree
Handful of raisins
5 tbsp. Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Handful of flaked almonds, toasted
Salt and black pepper

Method:

Poach the chicken breasts and garlic in a large pan just covered with water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer gently, lid on, for 20 minutes until thoroughly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil and gently saute the onions for around 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic that you poached with the chicken and ginger and fry for a further 2 minutes.
Then add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, tomato puree and 3-4 tablespoons of water and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Cut the cooled chicken into cubes and the cubes to a large mixing bowl. Also add to the bowl the raisins, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, coriander, cooled onion spice mix and the toasted almond flakes.
Season with salt and pepper, and then refrigerate until ready.