Poussins with tamarind glaze

• vegetable oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• cumin↗1 tbsp tbsp

  seeds, toasted in a hot pan and crushed

• spatchcooked poussin4

  legs and breast pieces

• tamarind↗100g g

  paste

• jaggery or muscovado sugar↗250g g
• coriander1 tbsp tbsp

  seeds

• cumin↗1 tbsp tbsp

  seeds

• fennel seed1 tbsp tbsp
• green cardamom↗3

  pods

• fresh ginger↗small knob of

  peeled and roughly chopped

• green chilli↗1

  roughly chopped

• chilli powder↗large pinch of
• ground ginger↗pinch of
• chaat masala↗large pinch of

  optional

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   First make the tamarind glaze. Put all the ingredients except the ground ginger and chaat masala in a medium saucepan with 500ml water. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half and slightly syrupy. Strain into a bowl to remove all the spices, stir in the ground ginger and chaat masala and leave to cool.

2. 2

   Pour half the glaze into a large bowl and set another 4 tbsp aside to serve (The rest will keep in the fridge for up to a month for a sauce or marinade.) Whisk in the oil and cumin and add the poussin. Cover and marinate in the fridge for half an hour at least – overnight is ideal.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Lift the poussin pieces out of the marinade and lay on a roasting tray. Roast for 30 minutes, basting with the cooking juices and the leftover marinade every 5 minutes until the poussins are lacquered and sticky.

4. 4

   To serve, mix the reserved glaze with 1 tablespoon water and drizzle over the poussins on 4 plates. Serve with a mushroom risotto and poppadums.