Persian Chicken Thighs with Roasted Carrots and Tahini Yoghurt

One of my best friends from university is now a highly qualified anaesthetist, but she’s a hopeless cook! Despite growing up in Iran with a wealth of culinary heritage, she still hasn't learnt the kitchen basics, but even she can cook this meal. Sumac, a spice high in antioxidants, is used frequently in Persian cuisine. Tahini is a great source of calcium and B vitamins, and makes an appearance in both savoury and sweet dishes. I don’t often use dried fruit in savoury meals, but in this dish it works very well.

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Step 1

‘Mix 1 tablespoon of the oil with the cinnamon, sumac, chilli powder, and the seasoning in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs, coat them in the mixture and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (ideally overnight).

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Step 3

Toss the carrots in a baking tray with 1 tablespoon of the oil and some seasoning and bake for 20 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.

Step 4

‘Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a low heat, add the onion, garlic and dried apricots and sauté for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Place the marinated chicken thighs in the frying pan skin-side down and cook gently for about 6 minutes. Press the thighs to encourage the skin to colour and crisp up, then turn them over and cook for a further 2 minutes. Transfer to the oven for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through(if you don’t have an ovenproof frying pan, just transfer the chicken to a baking tray).

Step 6

Combine the tahini yoghurt ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle a little extra sumac on top.

Step 7

Serve the chicken sprinkled with the toasted pistachios and pine nuts, with the yoghurt and roasted carrots alongside.