Mustard Fried Chicken with Crispy Curry Leaves and Mustard Mayonnaise

• For the mustard fried chicken:
• 4 chicken thigh fillets, skin removed, each thigh cut into 4 pieces
• 250ml/9fl oz buttermilk or thick Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• For the mustard mayonnaise:
• 100ml/3½fl oz American mustard
• 50ml/2fl oz mayonnaise
• 50ml/2fl oz soured cream
• 20ml/¾fl oz white wine vinegar, to taste
• 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the seasoned flour

• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz cornflour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garam masala
• To serve:
• 15 curry leaves
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp coriander cress
• 1 tbsp red amaranth cress

1. Combine the chicken with the buttermilk, mustard, turmeric, garlic and ginger and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
2. To make the mustard mayonnaise, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let it down with a splash of water if you want to make a more pourable dressing.
3. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
4. Place all the seasoned flour ingredients into a shallow bowl or tray and mix to combine. Dredge the marinaded chicken in the seasoned flour and deep fry for 6-8 minutes until golden, depending on the size of the thighs. Drain on kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
5. Deep fry the curry leaves for a few seconds until crisp, then remove and drain on kitchen towel.
6. To serve, pile the chicken onto a plate, drizzle over the dressing and garnish with the deep-fried curry leaves, thin slices of red onion and the two cresses.