Tandoori Spiced Chicken with Tomato Jam and Herbed Yogurt

Tandoori Spiced Chicken with Tomato Jam and Herbed Yogurt

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp onion powder

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp ground cayenne

1 Tbsp ground turmeric

1 Tbsp white pepper

1 Tbsp kosher salt

8 oz boneless skinless chicken

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 pita breads, warmed on grill

Tomato Jam, recipe follows

Herbed Yogurt, recipe follows

Directions:

Heat grill to medium-high. Combine all spices and the oil in a medium bowl to make a paste. Rub a thick layer of the spice paste all over the chicken and let marinate at least an hour. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices. Serve open faced on pitas; the chicken slices, a few dollops of Tomato Jam, and a drizzle of Herbed Yogurt.

Due to the pouring down rain I did not use the grill. I marinated the meat and then broiled it at 500F on the second from the top shelf. I cooked the meat 4 minutes on each side, and then let rest for 5 minutes. The meat was flavorful and tender.

Tomato Jam:

1-14.5oz can of Chopped tomatoes, drained

1 serrano chile, chopped

2 Tbsp oil, plus more for grilling

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small sweet onion, chopped

3 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar

In a skillet on medium-high heat the oil.  Add chopped onion and lightly brown, add the chopped serrano pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add drained chopped tomatoes, balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Cook until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Herbed Yogurt:

1 cup Greek yogurt

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves or 1 Tbsp dried

Salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor, I used my bullet; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Yum! The marinated chicken was so flavorful and tender, it would have been perfect on a bed of rice. Layering the chicken on the pita and adding the tomato jam with herbed yogurt made this recipe a burst of flavor in my mouth. The recipe called for pita bread, I would like to try Naan next time to make the dish a little more traditional. I feel this would be a better lunch choice than dinner. I had leftover pita bread and I decided to dip it into the herbed yogurt for a snack. It was delicious.

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