Sumac is ground from bright red berries, is very versatile and widely used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.  It has a slight lemony, sour tang and adds a glorious colour to any dish.  It pairs especially well with vegetables, chicken and lamb.

Although I found this recipe in a recent Sainsburys magazine, I have used a version of this marinade for a long while as it imparts such a lovely flavour to the chicken.  My butcher sells packs of thinly sliced chicken breast fillets which are perfect for this dish.

I like to serve the chicken with a tomato salsa and a green salad, adding some sweet potato ‘chips’ if anyone is extra hungry.

Yoghurt marinade

INGREDIENTS:

150g natural yoghurt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon sumac
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
650g skinless chicken breast fillets

METHOD:

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Cut the chicken into strips and stir them into the marinade making sure they are completely coated.   Leave for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan and cook the chicken (in batches) for three to four minutes on each side until cooked through.

Serve with a tomato salsa, green salad leaves and sweet potato wedges if extra hungry.

Middle Eastern Yoghurt Chicken with Tomato Salsa

I made my tomato salsa with chopped baby tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced avocado, sliced spring onions tossed in extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

NB:  All photographs used in this blog have been taken by me, and are of food I have prepared and served myself.