Tandoori Spiced Chicken Skewers with Jeera Rice

It’s pretty well a no-brainer, but to get juicy chicken every time: marinate it in yogurt, and use chicken thighs.

And if we’re going to use yogurt, we might as well flavour the yogurt with all the spices of the east.  Tandoori spiced chicken is a Pakistani and East Indian staple.  Of course, most of us don’t have access to an actual tandoori oven, but we do have access to the spices.  So adding them to a yogurt and lemon juice marinade will all least capture the flavour of our favourite Indian restaurant chicken.  And we do have access to either our grills, a grill pan, or our oven.

Tandoori Marinade

The classic blend of Indian and Pakistani spices is the star here.  Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom and cloves are here.  Paprika and cayenne pepper bring their heat.  And fresh grated ginger adds a different kind of warmth, but just as necessary. And of course, garlic.  Both the garlic and the ginger should be very finely minced.  And if you do choose to use the ground version of either, just use less.

I like to use plain yogurt, along with lemon juice to thin it out a little bit.  You could use lime juice instead.  If you use a plain Greek yogurt, you will need to thin it out a bit more.  The lactic acid from the yogurt, along with the citric acid from the lemon or lime juice is what will marinade the meat and turn it completely tender.  Using chicken thighs means that they can handle the marinade and also the cooking time.  You really can’t overcook chicken thighs this way. Actually, it is rare that I use chicken breast for any cooking over high heat, no matter the marinade.  Thigh meat remains juicy, and just has more flavour.  This is the same reason I use pork loin over tenderloin.

Cut the meat into 2 inch pieces and turn it all in the marinade till well coated.  Put it into a glass container with a lid, or even into a large freezer bag.  Let it marinate in the fridge for 8 hours, or even overnight.  Turn the meat or toss it in the bag periodically to ensure that the meat is getting marinated evenly.

Assemble the skewers

When it comes to time to grill the chicken, remove the chicken from the marinade, wiping off as much as possible.  Thread the pieces onto soaked (in water at least 30 minutes) wooden skewers, or onto metal skewers.  Have them all ready to go while you heat up the grill to medium high.  Alternatively, heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat on your stove. In either case, make sure the grill is well greased just before placing the meat on it. If cooking inside, be prepared to have the vent going on high speed, there will be smoke!   Cook on each side till the perfect grill marks appear, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the skewers to a cooler part of the grill to warm through, or transfer these to a warmed 350F oven to finish cooking through.  You want the meat to reach an internal temperature of 160-165F.

Yes, you can bake these in the oven. Have a large baking sheet lined with foil.  If you have a wire cooling rack that fits over the baking sheet even better.  Spray it well with non stick spray.  Lay out the skewers and bake at 425F turning regularly till cooked through.  This shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, depending on your oven. You can finish with a quick broil to add any colour that may not have happened to your liking.

What to Serve With Tandoori Chicken Skewers

First thing, is a great dip/sauce/chutney to go with the chicken.  One of the first Indian condiments I learned to make was cucumber raita, learning it from dear Pakistani friends here in Toronto.  And it is still the first thing I turn to go contrast the smokey goodness of the chicken.  This raita is about as easy as it gets, and is designed to be a refreshing chutney to turn to, in case a spicy dish is leaving you a little hot under the collar. 

Refreshing yogurt, cucumber, mint, cilantro and spices are basically all that this raita is.  Rather reminiscent of tzatziki, but without the garlic overtones.  Like the rice to follow, cumin or jeera seeds play a definite roll in the flavour profile. But in the end, the cucumber and mint are the stars, the refreshing contrast to any hot dish you are serving. Some like to add a bit of chopped red chilli pepper, but not so much that it takes over the chutney. And a consistency difference to tzatziki, which is made with Greek yogurt, raita can be made with plain or Greek yogurt.  But in the end it is thinner and more runny than the Greek garlic dip we all love.  But you will love this one as well, I promise.  I find that as I am grating the cucumbers into the yogurt, the juices that are released help turn it into a sauce.  Just thin it out with a bit of milk if the cucumbers aren’t enough.  Make it in advance and let the flavours meld in the fridge till needed.

Jeera Rice

Honestly, this may be my most favourite rice side dish ever.  And this is saying a lot, considering how much I love Coconut Rice and Saffron Rice! The flavours of Jeera Rice are in a most special category.  On the outside, or at first glance you may not think there is anything special about this rice. But you couldn’t be more wrong. With the first forkful, you will realize that this is a highly flavoured rice!

Jeera Rice starts off with tempering whole spices in hot ghee before adding the rice to the pot.  The spices you will be using are cumin seeds, whole cloves, green cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf.  After they have started to turn fragrant, you will add the rinsed rice into the pot.  Toss it into the butter so that the rice strands are evenly coated with the fragrant butter.  After toasting the rice for a couple of minutes, add the water and a bit of salt, close the lid, and let it simmer away.  In no time, you will have the most fluffy and tasty rice. 

I wish I could take credit for this recipe.  I discovered it over at Indian Healthy Recipes.  I have made some modifications to suit using a rice cooker and stove top pot.  If you are using a rice cooker, you can do all the preliminary work right in the vessel of your rice cooker.  Then add the rice and cook in the butter for a minute or so.  Add the amount of water as per your cooker’s instructions.  I am giving the measurements in the recipe below to feed four.

This rice can be used for almost any Indian meal, as a side to Butter Chicken or ‘Butter Chicken’ Cauliflower, Tikka Masala, Egg Curry or Karahi Chicken.  Of course, Lamb Vindaloo or Korma would also be great served with jeera rice.  Speaking of Butter Chicken, if you have leftover tandoori chicken pieces, whip up the sauce from my ‘Butter Chicken’ Cauliflower and use it for the those pieces, it’s fantastic!

Final Thoughts

So here is a great summer meal, since the chicken can be done out on the grill while the rice is cooking.  But don’t wait for summer, since it will work just as fine in the oven.  And if you would rather use whole thighs instead of skewered meat, go ahead and bake the chicken thighs whole.  This is a great meal for weekday, or for company!

Love Jen

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Tandoori Spiced Chicken Skewers with Jeera Rice

Classic Pakistani flavours abound in this meal of grilled chicken skewers with cooling, refreshing cucumber raita, and perfectly spiced jeera or cumin rice. A perfect meal for summer, and entertaining.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Pakistani

Keyword chaat masala, cucumber, jeera, tandoori

Prep Time 1 day 45 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Marinating 6 hours

Servings 4

Ingredients

Tandoori Spiced Chicken

Marinade

• 2/3 cup plain or Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice from approximately 2 lemons
• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves, freshly minced garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 2 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger, use the small holes of your box grater (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Chicken

• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch slices, can also use whole thighs just adjust cooking time

Cucumber Raita

• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, you don't want a thin yogurt with a lot of whey
• 3 Persian or mini cucumbers
• 1-2 tsp milk
• ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted, crushed (or use ground)
• ½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted, crushed (or use ground)
• 3 tbsp chopped mint
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• ¼ tsp salt, more to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper, more to taste
• 1 tbsp finely minced green pepper, jalapeño or Serrano pepper is fine
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala for garnish, optional

Jeera Rice

• 1 cup basmati rice, or follow rice cooker direction for 4 portions
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• 1 tbsp whole cumin, or jeera seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat blade of a knife
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 1/2-2 tsp salt as needed
• 1 1/2 cups water, or follow rice cooker directions for 4 portions

Instructions

Tandoori Spiced Chicken Skewers

1. In a medium bowl whisk all marinade ingredients together until well combined.
2. Place the chicken in a container or large freezer bag, and cover with the marinade. Toss to coat the chicken pieces evenly.

3. Marinate for 6 hours or overnight. Store in fridge.

4. Remove the chicken and wipe off all excess marinade, but don't rinse under water.
5. If using wood skewers, soak wood skewers in water at least 30 minutes before threading on the meat, to prevent burning. Thread the meat evenly onto 6 to 8 skewers, depending on the skewer length.
6. Pre-heat grill to med-high heat. Grease the grill just before using.

7. Sear the chicken, for 3-4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Resist the urge to move them early, or the charred meat will stick to the grill itself. Once the grill marks are deep and set, the meat will release easily off the grill. If needed, a metal spatula can aid in releasing the skewers.

8. Turn and cook, until all sides have grill marks, move the skewers to a cooler part of grill and cover – or alternatively, finish cooking in a 350 F oven until meat is cooked through.
9. If cooking indoors, have the vent going, since there will be smoke. Have the oven set to 350F. Grill using a well greased grill pan or a cast iron skillet set over medium high heat, and once grill marks are set, transfer the skewers to a baking sheet and place in the oven till cooked through.
10. You want the meat to be cooked through to between 160-165F.

Cucumber Raita

1. Place the yogurt into a medium sized bowl. Set a box grater over the yogurt. Grate the cucumbers right over the yogurt. Any juices released into the yogurt will help thin it out.

2. Add the milk just enough to thin out to a desired consistency if the cucumbers didn't add enough liquid.

3. Add the cumin and coriander, mint, cilantro, salt, pepper and chopped green chilli. Stir to combine and set in the fridge to let the flavours meld.
4. Just before serving, sprinkle with chaat masala spice powder.

Jeera Rice

1. Place the rice in a strainer set over a bowl. Rinse with water a few times till the water runs clear. Use your fingers to stir the rice strands around in the strainer.

2. Then pour enough water over the rice to soak (the rice should be completely covered and has an inch of extra water on top). Soak the rice for 30 minutes.

3. When you are ready to cook, drain all the water from the rice and set the rice aside.

4. Heat ghee in a pot and add the whole spices and cumin seeds to it. Once the cumin seeds start spluttering after a minute or so, add drained rice. If using a rice cooker, just heat the ghee directly in the rice cooker and temper the whole spices in it on the cook setting before adding the rice.

5. Sauté the rice in the pan (or rice cooker) for one minute on a medium heat, stirring to coat the rice in the ghee and spices.

6. Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt to the rice and mix well. Bring the rice to a quick boil, and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 12-15 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked through. Turn off the heat, leave the cover on and let the rice rest for 5 more minutes.

7. Top with chopped coriander and serve.

Recipe Notes

Chaat masala is a lovely tangy blend of cumin, coriander, mint, mango and tamarind powder, Kashmiri chilli powder etc.  This powdered spice blend can be found in most Indian sections of your favourite specialty or grocery store.  It is great sprinkled in dishes or even over fruit.  Serious Eats has a great homemade recipe if you want to make your own.  

Thanks to Alnoor from Lahore Tikka House in Toronto for the lesson on tandoori spices all those years ago.  Serious Eats helped me out to flesh out his recipe.

Any leftover chicken is fantastic in my Butter Chicken sauce recipe.

Yes, I used a star anise in my rice.  I like it.  Other recipes call for strands of mace which are hard to come by.  You could use ground mace.  Or omit it.  Or do what I did and think outside the box!  You can also add a tsp of turmeric to the rice to give it a lovely golden colour, add it when you are sautéing the cumin.

If you don't rinse and soak your rice, you will need to increase the amount of cooking water, and the rice strands will not be as fluffy and separate.