Nepalese Chicken Choyela by Olivemagazine

Ingredients

• 450g (1 lb) skinless chicken breasts
• 1 beef tomato
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
• 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
• ½ tbsp ground timur or sichuan peppercorns (see cook's notes)
• 1-2 tbsp dried chilli flakes (depending on spice preference)
• 6 spring onions, very thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp vegetable, sunflower, or mustard oil
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 green chillies, sliced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• To serve flatbreads, roti, or lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. Half fill a large pan with cold water, add the chicken breasts, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the beef tomato to the water for the final 5 minutes of cooking.
2. Drain the water (you can reserve it for stock or soup). Once the chicken has cooled slightly, dice it into small pieces or shred it using forks. Peel the skin off the tomato. Transfer the chicken and tomato to a mixing bowl.
3. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala (if using), lime or lemon juice, ground timur/sichuan peppercorns, dried chilli flakes, sliced spring onions, sliced garlic, chopped ginger, and sliced red onions to the bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to combine everything, crushing the tomato as you mix.
4. To temper the spices: heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Once they have coloured (about 30 seconds), turn off the heat. Add the sliced green chillies and cook for a few seconds. Move the pan away from the heat and add the turmeric. Immediately pour this hot oil mixture over the ingredients in the mixing bowl – it should sizzle. (Note: Do this near an open window or extractor fan to avoid pungent fumes and keep an arm's length away to avoid splattering hot oil).
5. Add the roughly chopped coriander to the bowl and mix well. Let the choyela sit for at least 5 minutes (the longer, the better) for the flavours to infuse. Serve on its own, with flatbreads, roti, or in lettuce wraps.