Indian Spiced Chicken

Indian Spiced Chicken
From fineCooking, January 2008

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour (room temperature) or overnight (refridgerated)
Roasting time: 45 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 180°F/82°C

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, bone in
Marinade:
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
½-1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (plus more chopped for garnish)
Juice of 1 large lime (wedges and more juice at serving time)
2-3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 scallions/green onions white & green parts (1 cut into 1” pieces for marinade, 1 thinly sliced for garnish)
1-2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground turmeric

Directions:
1. Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium low heat, shaking frequently until the cumin seeds darken and are fragrant (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a spice grinder (I purposefully bought a KitchenAid Coffee Grinderthat’s metal and comes apart easily for cleaning. Nothing is worse than smelling conflicting aromas!) Add the fenugreek, and peppercorns. (You could also use a mortar & pestle or small food processor like the Braun Stick Blender, another favorite toy of mine.) Grind to a fine powder.

2. Combine the cilantro, lime juice, 1” scallion pieces, canola oil, salt & turmeric with ground spice mixture in a food processor and blend into a smooth paste.

3. Coat chicken with the marinade paste. I use a large zip lock baggie, but a large bowl will do. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the fridge.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C

5. Place the chicken breasts skin side in a roasting pan that will fit the breasts comfortably but not have too much room. I often use a pyrex square cake pan. If you’ve refrigerated the chicken, allow it to come to room temperature before roasting.

6. Roast for about 45 minutes. Test the chicken with a meat thermometer for an accurate read. It’s ready at 180°F/82°C. If the coating starts to blacken before the chicken is done, cover it with foil.

7. Once it’s ready, place the chicken on a platter and cover with foil for 5-10 minutes to keep the chicken juicy while preparing these easy side dishes . My favorites, to make dinner truly Indian and also South Beach DietFriendly are Basmati Cauliflower "Rice" and Peas & Mushrooms (this time made with lite coconut milk instead of cream).

Related links: Food and Drink Easy Cooking South Beach Diet recipes Indian Food chicken