Tandoori Chicken with Sweet Potato and Onion Bhajis

This meal was an absolute taste sensation!  Sweet and spicy Bhajis topped with tangy barbecued chicken, tandoor style and then as a final flavour burst........a cooling cucumber and mint raita.  A nice one to impress your family and friends.....

Serves 4-6

4 Free range chicken breasts, cut in half on the diagonal (makes it go further)
3 tbs of Pataks tandoori paste
1 cup of Greek natural yoghurt
1 tbs of tomato paste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Finely chopped mint leaves for garnish

For the Bhaji's:

3 brown onions, halved and finely sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, grated
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of ground cardamom
1 tbs of ground cumin
1 tbs of ground coriander
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of turmeric
1 bunch of coriander, roots removed, stalks and leaves roughly chopped
1 cup of chickpea flour* (plain flour is ok)
olive oil for frying

For the Raita
11/2 cups of Greek natural yoghurt
1 lebanese cucumber, deseeded and very finely diced
1 cup of mint leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon

In a large bowl, combine the tandoori paste, yoghurt, lemon and tomato paste, mix really well to combine.  Score the chicken pieces diagonally and place in the marinade.  Cover with cling wrap and marinate for at least four hours or overnight if you prefer.

To make the Bhaji's, get yourself a really large bowl and combine the sweet potato, onion and salt.  Allow to sit for about half an hour.  This will draw out the moisture in the onions and help the mixture combine.  Add the cardamom, cumin, coriander, chilli, turmeric, coriander and flour.  Get your hands in there and really work the mixture until it is nice and sticky and when you shape it in a ball it won't fall apart!  Add a little more flour if you think it is too wet and you can also place it in the fridge for a little while to help it bind.

Heat a BBQ grill or griddle pan to a high heat and cook the chicken on both sides for approximately 10-12 minutes or until cooked right through.  Remove and set aside to rest.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.  Heat enough oil in a pan to cover the base until nice and hot.  To test the oil pop a little of the Bhaji mixture in and if it starts to sizzle immediately, it is ready.  Form nice palm size balls of the mixture and fry on both sides until golden.  Place on a wire rack and pop in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked through.

To prepare the raita, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.

To plate the dish place two Bhaji's in the centre of the plate and top with a couple of pieces of chicken. Spoon over a generous dollop of the raita, top with mint and serve with a refreshing green salad.