Tandoori Chicken Bowls
These Tandoori Chicken Bowls are a fun and delicious rice bowl with sweet and spicy Indian flavors combined with fresh herbs and veggies.
Equipment
- Outdoor Grill or Grill Pan
- 2 Medium Bowls
- 1 Medium Pot with a fitted lid
- Food Processor mini one if you have it
- 1 Medium Pan
Ingredients
For the Bowls:
- 6 about 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Avocado oil
- 3 Persian cucumbers halved lengthwise and thinly slices crosswise on a diagonal
- Thinly sliced red onion to taste (I love onion, so I used ½ a medium red onion)
- Lemon juice to taste
- Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
- Basmati Rice recipe below
- Mint Cilantro Chutney recipe below
- Tamarind Chutney recipe below
For the Basmati Rice:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 piece star anise
- 3 cloves
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup Basmati rice
For the Mint Cilantro Chutney:
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and thin stems
- ½ cup mint leaves
- 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
- 1 inch piece ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ serrano chili roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 2 teaspoons water
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Tamarind Chutney:
- 6 pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 teaspoons tamarind paste
- ¼ cup dark muscovado sugar
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- Kosher salt
Instructions
For the Bowls:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with the garam masala, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ginger, ½ teaspoon cumin (double this amount of cumin if doubling the recipe), turmeric, smoked paprika, big pinches of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and 4 teaspoons avocado oil (double this amount of oil if doubling the recipe). At this point the chicken can be left to sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Let come to room temperature before cooking.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Grease with avocado oil or another neutral oil. Grill chicken until charred and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cucumber and red onion with ¼ teaspoon cumin (double this amount of cumin if doubling the recipe), lemon juice and olive oil to taste, and a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide rice between bowls and top with chicken and cucumber salad. Serve with Mint Cilantro Chutney and Tamarind Chutney on the side or drizzled over the bowls, if using.
For the Basmati Rice:
- In a medium-sized sauce pot, combine the water, oil, star anise, cloves, and Kosher salt and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Add the rice, tightly cover the pot and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit, still covered, for another 10 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this entire time.
For the Mint Cilantro Chutney:
- Place all ingredients into a food processor and puree until combined. Taste and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the Tamarind Chutney:
- Place dates in a medium bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Let sit until cooled. Place the dates with the water into a blender with the tamarind paste and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the cayenne, cumin, ginger, and garam masala and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often until fragrant. Add the sugar and date mixture and stir to combine until the sugar is melted. Bring to a boil, then cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool to room temperature. Taste and season with Kosher salt.
Notes
Chicken - Once cooked, chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat until warmed through in the microwave or oven.
Basmati Rice - Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat until warmed through in the microwave or oven.
Mint Cilantro Chutney - Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Tamarind Chutney - Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!