Tandoori Chicken Tikka with Indian Basmati Rice

My family has always loved Indian food, so one of the first things I did when I moved out on my own was to buy a masala dabba - an Indian spice container that holds your 7 highest priority spices, so that to whip up any dish with any Indian flavoring, you can just add a bit of each. Tandoori chicken is traditionally skinless chicken with bones that is cooked in a classic cylindrical tandoor oven; chicken tikka is the same spice mix and method, but using chunks of boneless chicken.

Just a few keys to making chicken this way:

1. Use plain, whole milk, regular non-Greek yogurt as the base of the marinade.
2. Mix the spices and aromatics in with the yogurt before putting the chicken in, so that it's evenly distributed.

For the chicken:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 c whole milk yogurt
• 1 Tbs ginger paste or shredded/pressed fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dry ground ginger)
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• OR 2 Tbs ginger garlic paste (this stuff is the best and you can use it in Chinese cooking, Thai, anything)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tsp red food coloring (optional - if you don't use this, it will be yellow when cooked)

For the rice:

• 1 c basmati or jasmine rice
• 2 c water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom)
• 6 whole black peppercorns (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped

Make the chicken:

You can use whole chicken breasts, but I like to slice it in half longways - so you get two chicken breasts in the same shape, but thinner - if I'm going to grill it.

To marinade the chicken, put the yogurt in a bowl and mix all the rest of the ingredients in. Add the chicken breast and stir together until totally coated.  Put in a storage container or freezer bag, and marinade up to 48 hours.

When ready to cook, either grill or broil for 5 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Make the rice:

This is not the same as my basic rice recipe, but after several tries making authentic Indian rice on my own, I finally asked a coworker in India for advice.  This is what I ended up with.

Put a tablespoon or so of oil in a saucepan over high heat. When hot, add the whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns) and saute about 15 seconds until fragrant.  Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.

Once it's boiling, add the rice and simmer on low, uncovered, until water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. When water is gone, turn the burner off and cover it for 5 to 10 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, take a shallow pan and add about a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil, and turn the burner to medium high. When the oil is hot, add in the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, so the onion chars on all sides. Toss this in with the rice when it's done cooking.

Mix It Up:

• For true tandoori chicken, use bone-in chicken pieces and cook longer, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• You can also do skewers of chicken chunks for chicken tikka - which you can then use in other Indian recipes!

Tandoori Chicken Tikka with Indian Basmati Rice

Yield: 4

Author: Mallory

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 8 HourTotal time: 8 H & 40 M

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 c whole milk yogurt
• 1 Tbs ginger paste or shredded/pressed fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dry ground ginger)
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• OR 2 Tbs ginger garlic paste (this stuff is the best and you can use it in Chinese cooking, Thai, anything)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tsp red food coloring (optional - if you don't use this, it will be yellow when cooked)

For the Rice:

• 1 c basmati or jasmine rice
• 2 c water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom)
• 6 whole black peppercorns (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Chicken Tikka:

1. You can use whole chicken breasts, but I like to slice it in half longways - so you get two chicken breasts in the same shape, but thinner - if I'm going to grill it.
2. To marinade the chicken, put the yogurt in a bowl and mix all the rest of the ingredients in. Add the chicken breast and stir together until totally coated. Put in a storage container or freezer bag, and marinade up to 48 hours.
3. When ready to cook, either grill or broil for 5 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Basmati Rice:

1. Put a tablespoon or so of oil in a saucepan over high heat. When hot, add the whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns) and saute about 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
2. Once it's boiling, add the rice and simmer on low, uncovered, until water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. When water is gone, turn the burner off and cover it for 5 to 10 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork.
3. While the rice is cooking, take a shallow pan and add about a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil, and turn the burner to medium high. When the oil is hot, add in the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, so the onion chars on all sides. Toss this in with the rice when it's done cooking.