Anything You Tandoor, I Tandoor Better

Bottled tandoori paste and nonfat yogurt are the primary ingredients in this tandoori spiced chicken recipe. If you’re a hot and spicy lover, you may want to increase the amount of tandoori paste. It can be found in Indian markets and well-stocked supermarkets.

Nonfat yogurt tends to be less stable than regular yogurt when heated, so drain the yogurt for a couple of hours, then stir in a little flour to help thicken it and prevent curdling during cooking.

I like to serve the chicken with basmati rice. I add a bay leaf, three or four cardamom pods and a sprinkle of cumin seeds to one cup of rice before cooking. When you serve the chicken, spoon it over the rice and give it a good squeeze of lemon to bring out the flavors.

Tandoori Spiced Chicken

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 35 minutes plus 2 hours standing

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds, cut in quarters

1/4 cup bottled tandoori paste

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups chopped onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-inch piece ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon flour

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped mint

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Spoon the yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let drain for two hours.

Toss together the chicken and tandoori paste in a bowl and let marinate while the yogurt is draining.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then spray the chicken. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat until browned on each side, about 5 minutes.

Spray a small skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the onions, garlic and ginger over medium heat until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Spoon the onions over the chicken in the skillet.

Stir together the flour and drained yogurt until smooth. Stir into the chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and mint. Serve with lemon wedges.

6 servings. Each serving: 236 calories; 455 mg sodium; 78 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 1.06 grams fiber.