The warmth and fragrance of ginger (adraki) is at the heart of this classic north Indian dish. Atul Kochhar’s sophisticated version makes a smart main course for a dinner party.
For the chutney, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, fry the cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes then add the sesame seeds, ginger and green chilli and season with a little salt.
Stir for 2-3 minutes and then cover the mixture with a circle of greaseproof paper and let it cook slowly for 40-45 minutes until the ginger is almost cooked.
Let the mixture cool then transfer to a food processor and blend to a fine paste with the tamarind paste and palm sugar.
Heat the remaining oil in a separate pan, add the asafoetida, red chilli and mustard seeds. As the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves, stir for 30 seconds then pour into the ginger chutney mixture and mix well. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Place each breast of chicken on a large piece of foil and flatten them with a meat mallet.
Mix the minced chicken breast with the spring onion, ginger, garam masala and a little salt and divide into four portions.
Place one portion of mince on flattened chicken breast and roll into a roulade with the foil. Tighten the ends of foil by twisting each end.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan and poach the roulades for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the roulades from the stock and let cool.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Remove the foil from the chicken roulades and sear them on all sides until lightly coloured and crisp.
While the chicken is poaching, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, gently fry the cumin seeds and ginger then add the green chilli and chopped onions.
Fry until the onions are caramelised to a golden-brown then add the chilli powder, coriander and turmeric. Cook for 2-3 minutes then season with salt and add the chopped tomatoes.
When the tomatoes have softened, place the mixture in a food processor and blend to a fine paste, moistened with a little stock if necessary. Set the sauce aside and keep warm.
To serve, cut each chicken roulade into three equal pieces. Spoon the sauce and chutney on the plate and place three pieces of roulade on top of the sauce. Garnish with the fried ginger and cress leaves.
