Associated with India, tandoori cooking, a high-heat process, is actually a Middle Eastern invention, originally done in ceramic ovens, which have been unearthed at Babylonian archeological digs. In 1948, a fashionable, jet-setter restaurant in New Delhi installed a tandoori oven, the media picked up the story, and the craze went around the world so fast that tandoori cooking is now almost exclusively associated with India. Here, a hot grill produces similar results.

Source: EatingWell Magazine, June/July 2005

Gallery

Recipe Summary

total:
50 mins
Servings:
4
Advertisement

Ingredients

Raita
Chicken

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • To prepare raita: Combine yogurt, cucumber, tomato, red onion, mint, 1 teaspoon cumin and salt in a small bowl; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Advertisement
  • Preheat grill to medium-high.

  • To prepare chicken: Combine paprika, coriander, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large sealable plastic bag. Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to make 4 approximately equal portions. Place each portion between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch. Brush the chicken with oil; place in the bag, seal and turn to coat.

  • Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve warm with the raita.

Tips

Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

Nutrition Facts

208 calories; protein 26.8g; carbohydrates 7.5g; dietary fiber 1.3g; sugars 5.6g; fat 7.4g; saturated fat 1.7g; cholesterol 66.3mg; vitamin a iu 749.2IU; vitamin c 5.3mg; folate 20.7mcg; calcium 143.3mg; iron 1.6mg; magnesium 40.8mg; potassium 457.3mg; sodium 402mg; thiamin 0.1mg.

1/2 reduced-fat milk, 3 lean meat

Advertisement