Tandoori Chicken

Number of Servings - 4

• For Spice Paste:
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 small fresh red or green chile (serrano)
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-½ teaspoons ground coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh gingerroot
• ¾ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 ¼ pounds total)
• 1 small red onion
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 4 plum tomatoes Sauce:
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice Pinch cayenne pepper Rice:
• 2 shallots
• 1 large carrot peeled and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Rice: Thinly slice shallots and in a 2 quart heavy saucepan cook in canola oil with diced carrots over moderate heat, stirring until tender. Stir in mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Add rice and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cook pilaf, covered on low heat until rice is tender and stock is absorbed (may need to add more liquid to bring rice to tenderness). Fluff rice with a fork and add green onions and cilantro.

Chicken: Mince garlic with salt and mash into a paste. Mince chile wearing protective gloves. Use seeds to add spiciness. Add the remaining spice ingredients for the paste in a mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly. Clean and slice chicken into 1-inch strips lengthwise. Cover chicken pieces with paste and marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat broiler and line a pan with foil.

Halve the onion through root end and reserve 1 half for sauce. Thinly slice remaining onion half, separating layers, and in a small bowl soak onion slices in ice water to cover while broiling chicken.

Arrange chicken without crowding on rack of broiler pan. Brush chicken and tomatoes with 1-teaspoon canola oil and broil about 3 inches from heat 8 minutes. Turn chicken over and brush with remaining canola oil. Broil chicken until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 6 minutes more (tomatoes will cook quicker than chicken. Remove when browned) Mince roasted tomato into a puree. Drain soaked onion and pat dry between paper towels. Top chicken with onion slices and mashed tomatoes. Serve chicken over rice with sauce on side.

Sauce: Mince enough reserved onion to measure 1 tablespoon and in a small bowl stir together with all sauce ingredients.