Sweet Heat Tandoori Chicken Melt with Mango Habanero Chutney

This is my tandoori chicken melt with mango habanero chutney, pickled red onion, and a cool mint yogurt.

Watch the recipeSebastian Greenway

Sebastian Greenway

Sweet Heat Tandoori Chicken Melt with Mango Habanero Chutney

A tandoori chicken melt loaded with sweet mango habanero chutney, pickled red onion, cool mint yoghurt and loads of melted mozzarella.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 mango for chutney, slightly under ripe is fine
• 1 white onion finely diced
• 1 large tablespoon ginger minced
• 2 cloves* garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon* honey
• 1 habanero
• 1/4 teaspoon* mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon* cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon* salt for chutney
• 1/8 teaspoon* turmeric for chutney
• 60 ml white vinegar for chutney
• 1/2 lime juiced, for chutney
• 1* red onion for quick pickle
• 60 ml* white vinegar for quick pickled onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar for quick pickled onion
• 80 g Greek yoghurt for mint yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint and coriander for yoghurt
• 1 clove garlic grated, for yoghurt
• 1/8 teaspoon* ginger for yoghurt
• 1/8 teaspoon* sugar for yoghurt
• 1/8 teaspoon* black pepper for yoghurt
• 1/2 lime juiced, for yoghurt
• 1 red pepper quartered
• 60 g Greek yoghurt for chicken marinade
• 2 tablespoons tandoori masala for chicken marinade
• 2 breasts* chicken cut to fit sandwich
• 8 slices* mozzarella
• 4 slices* bread
• 1 green chilli freshly sliced
• 1 tablespoon* fresh coriander leaves for topping

Method

 

1. Gently simmer mango, diced white onion, ginger, garlic, honey, habanero, mustard seeds, cumin, salt, turmeric, and vinegar until mango softens and breaks down. Finish with half a lime’s juice.
2. Quick-pickle red onion with white vinegar and a spoon of sugar for fresh sandwich acidity, not storage.
3. Mix yogurt, mint, coriander, garlic, a pinch of ginger, sugar, and pepper. Finish with half a lime’s juice.
4. Quarter pepper; grill skin-side up until blistered.
5. Marinate chicken in yogurt and tandoori masala at least 2 hours, up to 6 for best results.
6. Sear chicken hard in a hot pan; finish in oven.
7. Layer chutney, a couple mozzarella slices, chicken, pickled onion, more mozzarella, red pepper, mint yogurt, coriander, more mozzarella, and sliced green chilli.
8. Toast in a panini press or pan over very low heat, letting cheese melt before bread darkens.

Notes

Amounts marked * are estimates based on the video.

Servings and times are estimates based on the video.

Don’t forget to dip.

Mango Habanero Chutney

First is the chutney. I’m using:

• one mango
• one finely diced white onion
• a large tablespoon of ginger and garlic cloves, both minced
• a little honey
• a habanero
• a good pinch of mustard seeds, cumin, salt and turmeric
• and finally about 60 milliliters of white vinegar

Let that simmer gently until the mango softens and breaks down. If the mango is slightly underripe, that’s actually fine. It keeps a little of the sharpness. Finish it with the juice of half a lime once it’s cooked.

Onions and Mint Yogurt

For the onions, this is just a quick pickle, nice and simple. Red onion, white vinegar, and a spoon of sugar. It’s not for storing, just for adding a fresh acidity to the sandwich.

The yogurt is the cooling part. About 80 grams of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of chopped mint and coriander, 1 garlic clove grated, a pinch of ginger, sugar, and black pepper, and finish with the juice of half a lime. You can add a little turmeric as well if you want that yellow tandoori-style color.

Tandoori Chicken

The red pepper is just quartered and grilled skin side up until it blisters. For the chicken, I kept it simple. Greek yogurt and tandoori masala, about 2 tablespoons into about 60g, just enough to cover the chicken.

Building the Sandwich

Before the build, we went:

• mango chutney first
• couple of slices of mozzarella
• tandoori chicken, the more the better, really
• pickled red, you want quite a bit for the extra acidity
• more mozzarella, red pepper, mint yogurt, fresh coriander leaves
• Finally, more mozzarella and some freshly sliced green chili

Toast it in a panini press or alternatively in a pan on a very low heat, making sure the cheese has time to melt before the bread gets too dark.

And I think this one really works. Sweet heat from the chutney, smoky spiced chicken, sharp onions, cool yogurt, and loads of melted cheese. And don’t forget to dip.