Tonight’s recipe came from Fitness Food, and was just delicious! Chicken marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices grilled and served with a rice made with cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and currants. This one’s a keeper.

Lisa says:

This is *so* good.

Chris says:

Yeah, super good! I always wondered how the chicken turned that color when I’ve had this in restaurants…

Lisa says:

How *did* it get that color?

Chris says:

From the tandoori spice mix… I found a few recipes online; you’ll never guess what makes it that red — food coloring!

Lisa says:

What the? Really?

Chris says:

Yep, nutty. Mmmm, the lemon really brings out the flavor in this marinade.

Lisa says:

It rules. By the way, I love this rice.

Chris says:

Even with the currants?

Lisa says:

Yep — I usually don’t like fruit in stuff, but these are small — they add a nice texture to the rice.

Tandoori Chicken Skewers & Rice
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1 1/2 tbsp tandoori spice powder
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 2/3 lb chicken breast fillets
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 bruised cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp currants

Place the spice powder, yogurt, lemon juice, and chicken in a glass dish. Mix well to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Prepare 8 bamboo skewers by soaking them in cold water for 30 minutes.
Prepare the rice: rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear and set aside. In a saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cumin seeds and cook for 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Add the rice, cardamom, cinnamon, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the currants, and stir. Season with salt and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
While the rice is doing its thing, add the chicken to the skewers so they are evenly distributed. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Add the skewers and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning frequently, until done. Serve the skewers on the rice with mango chutney, lemon wedges, and cilantro.

4 Servings