Roast Chicken Vindaloo

I love a good chicken dinner and I also love a good curry so when I found a recipe combining the two I had to give it a go! This take on a classic is super flavourful, really light and the perfect summer alternative to your heavy run-of-the-mill roast dinner. The spice of the crispy chicken skin is offset by the juicy meat and sweet corn as well as the zing of acidity from the vinegar in the gravy. In addition, the watercress garnish brightens up the whole meal, adding freshness and summer to the plate.

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients - a lot of them are store cupboard staples and the recipe itself is really easy. So what are you waiting for? Spice up your Sunday roast and give this KILLER recipe go!

Roast Chicken Vindaloo

Serves 6

For the vindaloo spice mix:

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground fenugreek seeds

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp red chili powder

For the chicken vindaloo:

3 tbsp garlic paste

3 tbsp palm vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tbsp vindaloo spice mix (from above)

2 tbsp oil salt, to taste

1.6kg chicken

16-20 baby carrots

watercress leaves, to garnish

For the sweet potato mash:

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

25g unsalted butter

salt, to taste

For the vindaloo gravy:

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cinnamon stick

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp vindaloo spice mix

2 medium tomatoes, pureed

2 tbsp palm vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tsp palm sugar

100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock

salt, to taste

For the masala corn:

70g/2½oz butter

½ tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp caster sugar

300g/10½oz frozen sweetcorn kernels

For the vindaloo spice mix, put all the ingredients in a container and mix to combine.

For the chicken vindaloo, mix the garlic paste, palm vinegar, spice mix, oil and salt together to form a paste. Rub the paste on the chicken and carrots. Set aside to marinate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 240C/400F/Gas 6.

One the chicken has marinated, place it on top of the carrots on a roasting tray and place in the oven. Immediately, turn the temperature down to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Baste the chicken every 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well, then return to the heat to drive off any excess moisture. Remove from the heat then mash with the butter until smooth. Keep warm until needed.

For the vindaloo gravy, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the cinnamon stick and garlic and gently fry until the garlic is translucent. Add the chopped onions and cook until light-brown. Add the vindaloo spice mix and gently fry for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, vinegar and palm sugar and cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the masala corn, melt the butter in a pan, then add the chilli powder, lime juice, chat masala and sugar and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the frozen sweetcorn kernels and cook until warm.

Joint the chicken and serve with the carrots, sweet potato mash, masala corn and vindaloo gravy. Garnish with watercress leaves.