Yogurt Spiced Chicken with Cilantro and Lime

If you're like me, you're always looking for the perfect lunch or light dinner. I'm always looking for new ways to cook with chicken breast to make it flavorful; truth be told, a lean piece of chicken breast without the skin and bone can often be quite bland. Marinating the chicken in spiced yogurt for a couple hours packs the chicken with flavor as well as tenderizes the meat.

This recipe was perfected by Oliver who was inspired by an old Indian cook book my mother found in a remote village in India while traveling a couple years ago. The book eloquently describes yogurt as "the diplomat of Indian cuisine. It is often there, but in the background, seeing that things go smoothly; it is sweet, but - at times - slightly sharp".


Yogurt Spiced Chicken with Cilantro
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons of curry powder
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lime
1/4 cup of sour cream
A handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped
Naan bread

Toast the seeds in pan (without oil) and toss until fragrant. Then, grind the spices until you obtain a powder. Mix the yogurt, spices, ginger, garlic, curry powder salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size cubes and add to the yogurt mixture. Toss to coat all the pieces, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Remove the chicken from the bowl, shaking off any excess marinade. Place the chicken on the grill sheet that goes in your oven, and place a an aluminum-lined sheet below (marinade will drip down as it cooks). Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Turn your oven to broil and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked through.

Serve with warmed Naan bread, a dollop of sour cream, a good drizzle of fresh lime juice and garnish with a small handful of cilantro. Enjoy!