Two Indian dishes, 1 fragrant kitchen

Tandoori chicken, with its delicate blend of spices and intriguing aroma, is one of my favorite Indian dishes. One characteristic of the dish is it is cooked in a special tandoor oven in most restaurants. Another important characteristic is the ginger, garlic, coriander and cayenne yogurt sauce that it is cooked in. For this dinner, I have captured the essence of tandoori chicken with this easy yogurt sauce. Although not made in a special oven, the meal fills my requirement for some great Indian food that can be prepared quickly.

All of the spices can be found in the spice section of the supermarket.

Basmati rice is a type of long-grain rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a popular rice in India. It is fragrant and smells like popcorn while cooking. Longgrain white rice can be used instead.

Indian Spiced Chicken

1 cup plain yogurt

¼ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh

ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander Pinch ground red pepper

(cayenne)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¼ cup fresh diced onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Mix yogurt, ¼ cup chopped mint, ginger, coriander and cayenne together; set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet just large enough to hold chicken in one layer over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion to the skillet. Brown chicken 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add garlic to the skillet. Spoon yogurt sauce over chicken. Cover with a lid and cook 3 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped mint and serve with Cumin-Scented Rice and Spinach (recipe follows). Makes 2 servings Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 350 calories, 43 g protein, 12 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate (1 g sugar), 111 mg cholesterol, 295 mg sodium and 1 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 1.

Cumin-Scented Rice and Spinach

½ cup basmati rice 1 (5-ounce) container readyto-eat baby spinach leaves 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 tablespoons raisins ½ teaspoon ground cumin Salt and ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and boil for 10 minutes. Add spinach and immediately drain the rice, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking water. Add the oil to the saucepan and return the rice along with the reserved cooking water to the pan. Add the raisins and cumin. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately Per serving: 250 calories,

6 g protein, 8 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate (6 g sugar), no cholesterol, 64 mg sodium and 3 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 3.