Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Flavorful. Good. Yum. Make it now.

We had with Samosas.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

Photo by ALB

Named for Tandor the Indian clay oven it's traditionally cooked in, this dish is tender and tasty.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs and about 1/4 cup yogurt mixture)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded serrano pepper
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
16 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and red pepper to pan; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove from pan; cool.

2. Place onion, ginger, serrano pepper, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth. Add spice mixture, 1/2 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons juice, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt to onion mixture; process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Cut 3 shallow slits in each chicken thigh. Add chicken to bag, and seal. Toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

3. Prepare grill.

4. Combine remaining 2 cups yogurt, 2 tablespoons juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, stirring well. Cover mixture, and chill.

5. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 7 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with yogurt mixture.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 256; Calories from fat: 28%; Fat: 8.1g; Saturated fat: 2.3g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.8g; Protein: 32.2g; Carbohydrate: 12.7g; Fiber: 1.7g; Cholesterol: 119mg; Iron: 2.2mg; Sodium: 767mg; Calcium: 181mg

Cooking Light MAY 2008