Tandoori Chicken & Indian Rice

While I was recently on vacation I was checking out Pinterest, and came across several great recipes, one in particular was Tandoori Chicken.  Now Craig and I have discovered Indian & Persian food a few years back, and we both SO love the flavors, so I knew this would be an easy sell….But I had no idea how easy!  In addition to this I came across a recipe for Indian Rice.  So of late I haven’t been blogging, because, well the recipes I’ve been trying, just haven’t been trying.  I’ve been following them, taking pictures…and alas…reviews are, “don’t make this again!”.  So figuring that this, might or might not work, I decided to not take pictures.  Well that was a mistake. When dinner was served, there was a resounding “Can you put this on the regular rotation”?

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 Tbsp sweet (not hot) paprika
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 whole chicken breasts

Method

1 Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, then cook the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, garam masala and paprika, stirring often, until fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes). Let cool completely.

2 Whisk in the cooled spice-oil mixture into the yogurt, then mix in the lemon juice, garlic, salt and ginger.

3 Cut deep slashes in 3-4 places on the chicken pieces. Just make 2-3 cuts if you are using separate drumsticks and thighs. Coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and chill for at least an hour (preferably 6 hours), no more than 8 hours.

4 Prepare your grill so that one side is quite hot over direct heat, the other side cooler, not over direct heat. If using charcoal, leave one side of the grill without coals, so you have a hot side and a cooler side. If you are using a gas grill, just turn on one-half of the burners. Use tongs to wipe the grill grates with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Take the chicken out of the marinade and shake off the excess. You want the chicken coated, but not gloppy. Put the chicken pieces on the hot side of the grill and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes before checking.

5 Turn the chicken so it is brown (even a little bit charred) on all sides, then move it to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for at least 20 minutes, up to 40 minutes (or longer) depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the grill. The chicken is done when its juices run clear, and it 160°-180°F.

Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. It’s also great at room temperature or even cold the next day. 

Indian Style Rice Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice

8 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

2 cloves

2 cardamom pods

One 2-inch piece of cinnamon

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (or ghee if you have it)

1/2 teaspoon dark mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

1 medium onion, chopped

3 chopped garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Method

1 Place rice in a sieve and run cool water through it to rinse it until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in cool water for 30 minutes. Drain.

2 Using a spice basket (large tea ball), place the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon into the basket.  Bring 8 cups of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot, add the spice ball and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Taste the rice, and test if it is done to your taste; rice can take more or less time to cook depending on how old it is. If still too firm, cook a few minutes longer.

3 When the rice is cooked to your liking, drain the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop if from cooking. Remove the spice ball and discard the contents. Set the rice aside to drain.

4 In a pan large enough to hold the rice, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and the chile flakes. Cook until the mustard seeds start popping, then add the onion. Sauté until the onion begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes.

5 Add the garlic and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Sprinkle the turmeric over the rice and mix well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often.