Harissa chicken, butternut and tomato bake

for 4 people

Nadia Lim

Food writer and author

Juicy chicken drumsticks and tomatoes, and sweet tender chunks of butternut, roasted with North African spices, makes one hell of a tasty (and very easy to make) dinner. Use pumpkin instead of butternut if you prefer.

Harissa chicken, butternut and tomato bake

3 Tbsp	Harissa paste
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Lemon, juice of
800 g	Butternut, or pumpkin, cut into 2-3cm chunks (Main)
8	Chicken drumsticks (Main)
2	Red onions, medium, cut into 2cm wedges
1 punnet	Cherry tomatoes
1 sprinkle	Coriander, chopped

Coriander and mint yoghurt

¾ cup	Plain unsweetened yoghurt
¼ cup	Mint leaves
¼ cup	Coriander, chopped
1	Lemon, juice of
1 Tbsp	Harissa paste

Harissa paste

2	Red chillies, large, chopped
3	Garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp	Coriander seeds, crushed
2 ½ tsp	Cumin seeds, crushed
4 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 tsp	Brown sugar
4 Tbsp	Tomato paste
1 tsp	Salt
½	Lemons, juice of

Directions

Heat oven to 200C. Mix harissa paste, olive oil and lemon juice together. In a large roasting tray, toss butternut, chicken and onions together with the harissa mixture. If you have time, leave to marinate for 1 hour or more in the fridge.
Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 35-45 minutes or until chicken and butternut/pumpkin are cooked through. Halfway through cooking time, add whole cherry tomatoes and gently toss through.
To make the harissa paste, place garlic, chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, olive oil, tomato paste, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt in a small food processor and blend all ingredients together until well combined. Alternatively grind all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle.
Mix yoghurt, mint, coriander, harissa paste and lemon juice together.
To serve, dollop over mint and coriander yoghurt just before serving, and garnish with coriander. Serve with a rocket salad on the side.