One of my favorite things about the summer is GRILLING! Who doesn’t love grilled food? It’s easy, simple, healthy, always delicious & clean up is a snap. Whether your vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian or anything in between – grilled food works for everyone! Now the best part about living in the South (US) is that I can grill/barbeque almost all year round. But if you enjoy only a few months of sunshine a year, make the most of it & start grilling today!

I absolutely just love the combination of flavors & tastes in this dish; they really do embody the whole spirit of summer. My Curry Spiced Grilled Chicken combines all of the ingredients & flavors found in traditional chicken curry such as yogurt, aromatics & spices by way of a marinade. This dish is just perfect for entertaining too, since it can be marinated well in advance & grilled up just before eating.

Now personally, I like using boneless/skinless chicken thighs & chicken legs for this particular recipe but it really doesn’t matter – use your favorite chicken pieces. You can also use chicken pieces & skewer them kebab style ☺. This recipe can also be baked in the oven if you do not have a grill or would just love a taste of summer in the cold seasons.


CURRY SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken pieces (I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs & legs)
3-4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1½” piece of ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
2-3 small green Thai chilies, to taste
¾ to 1 cup of yogurt, as needed
2 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
1 lemon or lime (for both juice & zest)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp chicken curry masala
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp red chili pepper, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
extra lemon or lime wedges for garnish

METHOD:

Rinse the chicken & pat it dry. Then score the chicken pieces by making shallow cuts using a sharp knife or simply pricking it with a fork several times. Set aside until needed.

Then grind together the garlic cloves along with the ginger & green chilies into a smooth thick paste, adding water as needed. Set aside until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt with the oil & the juice of ½ a lemon. Next, add in the spices (turmeric, garam masala, chicken curry masala, ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder, red chili powder salt & pepper). Then add in 1 tbsp of fresh lemon zest & mix well to combine. Now add in the chicken pieces, making sure they are all evenly coated with the marinade. Now cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, overnight is best – the longer, the better!

When you are ready to grill, remove the chicken pieces (shaking off any excess marinade) & grill on both sides until fully cooked through, golden brown & delicious. If you have any leftover marinade, you can use it for basting & then discard the rest. When the chicken is done, let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the grilled chicken pieces. Liberally sprinkle the chicken pieces with the chopped cilantro leaves, garnish with the lemon wedges & serve as part of any delicious meal.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add a little Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) to the marinade for a wonderful taste. You could also add some finely minced fresh curry leaves to the marinade as well.



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