Tandoori Chicken and Indian Potato Salad

I saw Aarti Sequeira make a version of this tandoori chicken on The Best Thing I Ever Made, and I had to try it. I tweaked things a bit since I couldn't find all of the ingredients in the grocery store. And I'm going to tweak how much tandoori spice I use next time since the dish could have used a bit more spice. I made a ton of tandoori spice, so I have plenty with which to experiment. I will also be using chicken breasts instead of thighs next time. I usually really only like using chopped chicken thighs in a dish. Otherwise, there's a lot of extra fat with which to deal.

On the show, she served the chicken with potato salad, but she didn't supply a recipe. So I found this one. Which I wasn't crazy about. But oh well. There are plenty of other ones out there to try.

Tandoori Chicken
A variation on this recipe from Aarti Sequeira



1 bottle dried pickling spice
1 dried chile de arbol
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup whole fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
2 tablespoons malt vinegar or lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
1 packet boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds usually)
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Couple of extra limes, for garnish

To make the marinade, toast the pickling spices, whole chiles and fennel seeds in a skillet until fragrant, 3 minutes or so, shaking the pan. Then, pour the spices into a spice grinder and grind them until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.

In large bowl, whisk together 2-3 teaspoons (more or less, depending on your taste) spice mixture you just made with the yogurt, oil, malt vinegar, salt, ground cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger until well combined. Taste and adjust with more salt if it needs it.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you're going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.

Prick the chicken with a fork. Add the chicken to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, and at most overnight.

When you're ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken breast on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn't swimming in it. Cook the chicken breasts under the broiler until starting to blacken, about 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 350°F, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers 165°F, another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan, along with 1/2 cup water and the honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking all the time. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.

Serve the chicken breasts on a platter with a fresh squeeze of lime and a drizzle of the sauce.

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Indian Potato Salad
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup chopped shallots (about 3)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups (packed) chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

Bring large pot of salted water to boil; add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Puree shallots, mayonnaise, ginger, and lemon juice in processor. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in large bowl, add dressing, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.

Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread

Oh. My. Goodness. These are phenomenal. I was a little curious about how the garam masala would blend with the other flavors. So, of course, I had to try making them. We had also watched the last season of The Next Food Network Star when Aarti Sequeira won, so I was excited to try out one of her recipes. If you like Indian food, these are absolutely for you. Even if you've never had Indian food, these are a delicious twist on tradition gingerbread.

I would definitely suggest waiting to have them until they've sat for a few hours. The ones I had straight out of the oven were good, but the ones I've had today are seriously awesome. The flavors have had time to blend, and it's worth the wait.

Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread
Courtesy of Aarti Sequeira



3 cups all purpose flour, plus for dusting
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup molasses
Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows
Royal Icing, recipe follows
Toasted fennel seed, dried rose petals and gold or silver dragees, for garnish

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and garam masala in a large bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and ginger; continue to beat over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the molasses and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour in 2 batches and mix on low until combined and forms a sticky dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and pat into 2 (1/2-inch thick) rectangles. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust racks to the bottom and top half of the oven. Line 3 to 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.

Roll each portion of the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (if the dough becomes soft, chill for a bit in the refrigerator). Cut the dough with 3-inch cookie cutters, lay on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart, and chill for 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Decorate, as desired, with Chocolate Glaze or Royal Icing. Garnish with toasted fennel seeds, dried rose petals, or silver dragees.

Chocolate Glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cook until the chocolate melts, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to smooth out and combine.

Royal Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons egg white powder
3 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer over medium-high speed until it forms thick and glossy peaks, about 6 minutes.