Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Todays Menu offers Indian Cuisine

Good Morning from the Kitchen! Today we are venturing to India to taste some of their specialties. Todays menu offers: Tandoori Chicken, Basmati Rice, and Curried Vegetable Medley.

Tandoori chicken is a chicken dish which originated in the Punjab region of India, where it continues to be quite popular. The distinctive red hue of tandoori chicken has made it a popular offering at Indian restaurants all over the world, and this dish can also be prepared at home.

This dish is made by marinating chicken in a mixture of yogurt and spices, with a high amount of cayenne or chili powder, which turns the marinade a rich red color. Some cooks accentuate this by adding red food coloring, or they may make a more orange-colored tandoori chicken with the assistance of turmeric. Garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, lemon juice, and salt are also typically included in the marinade.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
1.Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.
2.In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smooth. Stir in yellow and red food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
3.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.
4.Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

2 comments:

  1. Today was the first time i have eaten Indian styled food. I wont say that i didnt like the chicken because that would be a lie. It was quite tasty yet, for my own personal reasons will probably wont eat it again.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Monique, Thanks for your comment...glad you enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken! Everyone has their own reasons for eating certain things and not eating things. We'd love to hear more about your likes and dislikes. What was it about the Tandoori that you would not like to eat again.

    ReplyDelete