Indian Garlic Chicken

This lovely (to the taste buds, if not the eyes) comes from a lovely (to the eyes) blog called Indian Simmer.  I honestly haven't changed it at all.  It's wonderful just as it is.  The recipe involves taking a cold, sturdy pan, like a cast iron skillet, and add some oil, spices and a bunch of garlic.  Then you turn on the heat and let everything warm up together and get all happy and roasted.  It smells, in a word, divine.

Unlike a lot of Indian restaurant food, this recipe uses non-fat yogurt to make the sauce rich and tasty, and because it has a minimum of oil, it's really pretty healthy.



Ingredients:
 - 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
 - 15-17 cloves of garlic (I told you it was a bunch!)
 - 4 green chilies
 - 1 tsp. finely chopped ginger
 - 1/2 of a large red onion, thinly sliced into half moons.
 - 1/4 c. non-fat yogurt
 - 1 tsp. lemon juice
 - 1/2 tsp. turmeric
 - 6-8 whole cloves
 - 2-3 green cardamoms
 - 3 tbsp. neutral oil
 - Salt, to taste

Directions:
 - Make a paste of 10 cloves of garlic, garlic, chilies, ginger and lemon juice in a food processor.  Marinate the chicken in it for at least 2 hours.
 - As noted above, add oil, remaining whole cloves of garlic, cloves and cardamoms to a cold, heavy skillet.  Turn the heat on to medium low.  Allow the whole pan to get hot and the contents to get all roast-y and delicious.
 - When the oil is hot, add the onions and allow them to get deeply browned.
 - Add Chicken with marinade and turmeric.  Allow to cook about half way, then add salt.
 - Allow the whole thing to bubble away for a total of about 20 minutes.
 - Devour with rice, naan, chapatis or parathas.

I really hope you enjoy this one.  It's a go-to weeknight meal at our house!

ceh.