Tandoori Chicken With Spiced Pilaf And Cucumber Riata

1. 1

   For the Chicken: In a large zip top bag combine yogurt, curry powder, pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, white wine and lemon juice. Add chicken and refrigerate 20 minutes.

2. 2

   For the Spiced Pilaf **: Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add ground cinnamon, ground cloves and bay leaves. Saute 1 minute. Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and saute until golden, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. If desired, stir in peas. Remove bay leaves before serving.

3. 3

   While rice is cooking, heat grill or grill pan and brush with oil. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off any excess. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Keep warm.

4. 4

   For the Cucumber Riata: In a medium bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, tomato, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. 5

   Serve chicken over rice (be sure to remove bay leaves) and top with sauce.

6. 6

   ** To prepare the Spiced Pilaf with a more authentic rice texture and seasoning mixture, try this tip: Rinse rice until water is fairly clear. Place rinsed rice in a bowl and cover with water. Soak rice at least 15 minutes (maximum 2 hours). Drain rice and cook according to package or recipe directions above. Instead of using ground cinnamon and ground cloves, substitute 1 stick of cinnamon and 8 whole cloves for the ground ingredients. Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick and whole cloves before serving.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.