CHICKEN KEBABS w/YOGURT & MINT

By BobD

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• A great destination for chicken tenders--tender and juicy (as long as you don't overcook them). You can use swordfish for kebabs, too: the yogurt marinade works equally well with both. Serve the kebabs with basmati rice.
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, preferably from hormone- and antibiotic-free chickens, or swordfish steaks cut in 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 to 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), cut in half, green shoots removed
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Seeds from 3 cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red or green pepper, cut in 1-inch squares
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), cut in half, green shoots removed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground (optional)
• 1 cup drained yogurt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or dill

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Season the chicken or swordfish with salt and pepper. Mash the garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle. Place the yogurt in a two-quart bowl and stir in the mashed garlic, another 1/4 teaspoon salt, the curry powder, cardamom and canola oil. Add the chicken or fish, the tomatoes and the peppers, and toss together. Cover and refrigerate for one to three hours. Meanwhile, if using wooden skewers, soak for 30 minutes or longer.

2. To make the sauce, mash the garlic and salt together to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the drained yogurt, along with the optional cumin seeds and the mint or dill. Set aside.

3. Prepare a hot charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill for fifteen minutes. Thread the chicken or fish onto skewers, alternating with the peppers and tomatoes. Do not jam the pieces together tightly; leave a little space between each so that the pieces cook evenly. Place on the hot grill. Grill five minutes and turn over.

Grill fish skewers for another five minutes, or until the fish is springy to the touch.

Grill chicken for another seven to ten minutes, turning onto another side after five minutes, or until cooked through but not dry. Remove from the grill, and serve with the yogurt sauce and basmati rice.


Advance preparation: While the chicken or fish must be marinated for at least an hour, the kebabs won't suffer if they're marinated for several hours.