It's Saturday night, and your team has lost. You need comforting, but calling for a takeaway in rural Andalucía isn't an option, so you get into the kitchen and create something to lift your spirits. This jeera chicken recipe — cumin chicken marinated in spices and cooked with green pepper and mango chutney — is exactly what the situation calls for. Served alongside aloo dum, a spiced potato and pea side dish, it's a proper Indian dinner for one that delivers every time. Spirits lifted until Tuesday.

Jeera chicken recipe and aloo dum — Saturday night sorted.

Jeera Chicken Recipe — Cumin Chicken

Ingredients — serves 1

1 large chicken breast, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 clove

Small piece cassia bark

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp homemade aromatic garam masala

1 tsp ground ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

1 small green pepper, sliced

1 tsp Nearly Patak's Mango Chutney

Fresh coriander and stalks

Lemon juice

Black pepper and salt

Sunflower oil

Method

In a pestle and mortar grind the coriander seeds and clove. Add the turmeric, cumin powder, cassia bark, ginger, a pinch of salt, and a twist of black pepper to make a dry spice mix.

Place the chicken in a bowl, drizzle with a little oil, then add the spice mix and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate - marinate for as long as you can.

Heat a good glug of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Gently fry the cumin seeds and onion for 2–3 minutes.

Add the chicken and green pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the garam masala and chopped coriander stalks, shake the pan, then stir through the mango chutney. Cook for another couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Finish with fresh coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Aloo Dum — Spiced Potato and Peas

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, par-boiled

1 small green pepper, diced

Handful frozen peas

1 tbsp tomato purée

Splash of water

1 small onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped

1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon

Fresh coriander

Lemon juice

Black pepper and salt

Sunflower oil

Method

Over a low heat, lightly fry the onion in a glug of oil until softened and lightly browned — allow time for this, it takes a while. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute or two.

Add the ground spices, stir and cook for a minute.

Add the tomato purée, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the potatoes and green pepper, stir gently and cook for 2 minutes.

Add a splash of water and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the peas, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

This jeera chicken recipe is part of my Curry Recipes hub and my Chicken Recipes hub — explore both for more ideas from Casa Adora and beyond.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef