Unless you're a vegetarian, I'm fairly certain that everyone out there can use another chicken recipe. I know that I can always use another easy chicken recipe. I know that I have made yogurt-marinated chicken before, so it's not necessarily a completely groundbreaking thing. But I love the Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper so much that I couldn't resist trying out a new recipe. Marinating the chicken in yogurt makes the chicken so moist and gives it such wonderful flavor. I wish we had a grill on which to cook this chicken, or that we had cooked it in the grill pan to give it some nice char. We broiled it in our toaster oven (which is nowhere near strong enough to give the chicken any char at all) because our actual broiler is terrifying and so small that the chicken would have been so close to the heating element that it would have burnt to a cinder long before it cooked through. I wish that we had added some more spice to the marinade to just bring another level of flavor. Or perhaps added a few extra spices - some garam masala might have been nice. The flavor of the garlic, scallions and lime is very delicate and gently perfumes the chicken. I probably like the Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper a little better than these kebabs because the flavors in that dish are a little more pronounced. I'm definitely glad that we made the sambal with the chicken because it gave some nice heat and another level of more assertive flavor that balanced the more subtle flavors of the chicken. I wish it had a little more heat, but our serranos just weren't that hot. But the sambal still had really nice flavor from the lime juice and shallots (and a hint of slowly building heat). As for the watercress salad, I thought it was a really nice counterpoint to the kebabs. It was bright and refreshing (and really simple to make), and I think you could serve it with lamb kebabs or any other really meaty dish. Actually, I think you could serve it on top of a lamb and feta burger and that would be phenomenal as well.
Recipes after the jump!
Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs
Adapted from Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent
By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp minced garlic or garlic mashed into a paste
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic chives, regular chives, or scallions
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper or 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (we used black pepper)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain (full- or reduced-fat) yogurt (we used nonfat Greek yogurt)
1-2 limes or lemons, cut into wedges
Rinse off the chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks, and place in a wide shallow bowl.
Mix the marinade in a small bowl, whisking the garlic, greens, s&p, and oil into the yogurt. Pour over the chicken and stir. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for 1-2 hours, whatever is most convenient. Turn the pieces after 30 minutes.
Preheat the broiler or grill. If grilling, thread the chicken onto metal skewers. If broiling, place the chicken on a lightly oiled rack in a broiling pan. Place pan 5-7 inches below the broiler, and leave the oven door propped open slightly. Grill or broil, turning chicken over once, until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Serve chicken with lime or lemon wedges.
Red Onion Sambal
Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent
By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion or Asian shallots
2 green cayenne chilis (or serrano chilis), chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
Using a food processor or a stone mortar and a pestle, process or grind all of the ingredients into a rough paste.
Serve in a small condiment dish.
Watercress and Shallot Salad
Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent
By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup packed coarsely chopped watercress, thoroughly rinsed and coarse stems trimmed
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt, preferably coarse salt
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