Sluttishly Savoury: Tamarind Chicken

Tamarind was a revelation when I discovered it was a key ingredient in Thai cooking (my favourite cuisine). I just love that sweet sour flavour. So after further research I was not-so-surprised to find it was the main ingredient used for two of my much loved British condiments - Worcestershire Sauce and HP Sauce. This wonder fruit is actually a favourite across the world featuring in popular dishes across much of South Asia, Africa and Central America.

You can find tamarind in various forms such as blocks that require soaking and straining or my favourite, the concentrate. You can normally find this in your local Asian food store. I have a Turkish shop round the corner that stocks this. 

This simple dish requires a little forethought if you wish to get some good marinating going on. But once you have your ingredients chopped and assembled it takes no more than 20 minutes to throw together.

Tamarind Chicken (serves 2)

You will need:

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• handful of sugar snap peas

Make it!

• In a bowl, combine the tamarind concentrate, water, sriracha sauce, salt and garlic puree. Stir in the chicken and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and set aside. Heat the marinade in a small pan, allowing to gently boil and reduce for at least 10 minutes. Add the sugar and heat until dissolved. 
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken. Fry gently for 5 minutes before adding the shallots. Continue to fry, stirring often, for a further 3-4 minutes.
• Create a space in the middle of frying pan by pushing chicken and shallots to the edges. In the middle add a small drizzle of oil if necessary before gently adding the sliced garlic. Allow to fry until golden and starting to crisp.
• Combine the mixture and add the sugar snap peas for the last 3 minutes of cooking.
• Serve on a bowl of noodles and a drizzle of the marinade sauce.