Karkalla At Home by MINDY WOODS is a please-use-me cookbook that brings Australia’s incredible bounty of native foods into your kitchen.
Macadamia butter chicken
This Indian-inspired dish was created for an online cooking class I hosted for a beautiful group of people from all across Australia who tuned in to cook alongside me. The recipe was such a success that I just had to include it in this book. For maximum flavour, allow the chicken to marinate overnight. Serve with steamed rice or the lemon myrtle flatbreads on page 185.
Native ingredients used macadamias, lemon myrtle, native ginger
Serves 4
750 g (1 lb 10 oz) chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons ghee or butter (or 1 tablespoon oil)
1 cup (250 ml) tomato passata
1 cup (250 ml) thickened (double) cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
coriander leaves, to garnish – optional
MARINADE
1⁄2 cup (130 g) full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
1⁄2 cup (75 g) macadamias, soaked in hot water for 15–20 minutes, then drained
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli powder or paste
1⁄4 teaspoon ground lemon myrtle
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cm (3⁄4 inch) piece of native ginger, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Combine the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Pour it over the chicken, stirring to make sure it’s all thoroughly coated, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
Heat the ghee or butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Take the chicken out of the marinade (reserving the marinade in the bowl) and add to the pan, then cook for 2–3 minutes or until lightly browned all over, turning regularly.
Add the tomato passata, cream, sugar and salt, along with the reserved marinade, stirring to combine. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste to see if it needs more salt, then transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander, if you like.
I always have lemon myrtle on hand when cooking, but a large strip of fresh lemon peel will also work in its place here.
References:
p. 185
Lemon Myrtle Flatbreads
MAKES 8
These quick and easy flatbreads (pictured on page 95), infused with zesty lemon myrtle, are sure to become a regular in your repertoire.
Native ingredients used lemon myrtle
2 cups (300 g) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup (260 g) full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
1 teaspoon ground lemon myrtle
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter, ghee or macadamia oil
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the butter, ghee or oil. When you have a smooth dough, divide it into eight even-sized portions. On a flour-dusted bench, roll each one out into a roughly circular shape. Heat the butter, ghee or oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook one or two flatbreads at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Lay them in the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes until they start to rise and turn lightly golden on the underside. Flip and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cooked through. Keep the cooked flatbreads between two clean tea towels so they stay warm while you cook the rest.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mindy Woods is a woman of the Widjabul Wiabul and Nyangbal clans, Bundjalung Nation (Northern NSW), best known for her native ingredient–driven restaurant Karkalla Byron Bay – which evolved into the cultural and culinary experience Karkalla on Country in 2024 – and her two seasons on Masterchef: 2012 (season 4, Andy Allen’s season), where she came 4th; and 2022, where in the ‘Fans and Favourites’ edition, she championed First Nations cooking and was a fan favourite with her engaging and warm approach to inviting Australians to celebrate the country’s incredible array of native foods. She is a member of the 2023 Indigenous Entrepreneur Program with Food Futures/Charles Sturt University and is the former CEO of Lotus Dining Group in Sydney. She lives in Northern Rivers, NSW.
0 Comments