RECIPE: Spice up chicken thighs with ready-made tandoori paste
Tandoori is a style of Indian cuisine that involves cooking meat, vegetables or bread in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that traditionally uses charcoal or wood as fuel. Meats cooked in a tandoor are often marinated in a vibrant combination of tangy yogurt and a sweet and spicy paste made of garlic, ginger, tamarind, cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric and chile peppers.
Ready-made tandoori paste, available at Indian markets and grocery stores with expansive international sections, greatly simplifies the preparation. Tandoori chicken is perhaps best known for its phenomenal bright red color, a result of food dyes and heaping amounts of fiery chiles in the mixture. The ultra-high heat cooks food quickly and creates characteristic deliciously charred bits, a result of the aromatic marinade.
In the likely absence of a tandoor clay oven, you can use an indoor grill pan or skillet with fantastic results.
Tandoori-Style Chicken
For a busy weeknight meal, it’s easier to prepare the chicken on the stovetop than firing up the grill. Still want to take it outdoors? For charcoal grills, ignite the charcoal and burn for 20 minutes, until the coals are coated in light gray ash. Spread coals evenly over the bottom, position the grill rack above the coals and heat until medium-hot. For a gas grill, turn all burners on the gas grill to high, close the lid and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes. Before placing the chicken thighs directly onto the hot grill, clean and grease the grill rack. Proceed with the recipe as written.
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
- 1/2 cup tandoori paste, such as Swad brand
- 1/4 cup fat-free skyr Icelandic yogurt or 0% Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Cilantro, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or nonstick spray
- Green salad, for serving
- Naan, for serving
- Combine the chicken thighs, tandoori paste, skyr and lime juice in a sealable container. Season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat the chicken in the marinade. At this point you can cook immediately or seal and refrigerate to marinate for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Turn the heat under the grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray or brush with oil. Let the pan heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pan is very hot.
- Add the chicken in a single layer without crowding. Cook chicken thighs over medium-high heat until browned, 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to prevent scorching. Some black and brown bits are fine, but burnt is not!) Flip and cook until lightly charred, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 5 additional minutes.
- Serve immediately with salad and naan.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 322 calories (percent of calories from fat, 32), 45 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 11 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 207 milligrams cholesterol, 370 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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