A quick and flavourful take on the trending Turkish pasta, with a chicken variation and some handy substitutions.
The trending viral dish on the internet, Turkish pasta by Anna Paul, is quite popular right now, and so many variations of it have followed. Keen to see what the hype is all about, I decided to make an impromptu chicken variation as compared to the beef one. I substituted cherry tomatoes with a normal cut tomato, and feta cheese with some paneer. Not the same, but as I said, this was hastily put together.
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 cup raw pasta, boiled with salt and a dash of oil, drained and set aside
For the Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup yogurt
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
For the Chicken
- 1 tbsp oil
- 100 g finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 200 g finely chopped chicken tenders
- 2 boiled and pureed tomatoes
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Fresh basil leaves and oregano, to taste
For the Chilli Butter
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
For Topping
- Crumbled paneer, or feta cheese for a more authentic touch
- Cherry tomatoes, halved, or regular tomatoes, chopped
Method
- Prepare the yogurt sauce Mix the yogurt with salt, black pepper, and garlic. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Stir in the chicken and sauté until almost cooked. Pour in the pureed tomatoes and mix well. Add red chilli powder, Italian herbs, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Toss in fresh basil and oregano, then simmer until the mixture thickens. Keep warm.
- Make the chilli butter Melt the butter in a pan, then quickly add the chilli flakes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Assemble the dish Spread the boiled pasta on a serving platter. Drizzle half of the yogurt sauce over it. Layer the cooked chicken on top. Pour over the remaining yogurt sauce. Sprinkle crumbled paneer or feta cheese and tomatoes over the top. Finish with a generous drizzle of chilli butter.
Enjoy this delicious, creamy, and spicy pasta while it is warm.