This was introduced to me a few years back by an acquaintance of Goan extraction. Never seen meat marinated in yogurt before. I am now totally a devotee of the method. Don’t be scared, its alright. I’ll help you…
Basics:
1 cup of plain yogurt (nonfat or whole- no diff)
1 clove garlic
2 lemons, one juiced and zested, one reserved for serving
1 tablespoon salt
2 Serrano peppers, sliced whole
1″ cube of fresh ginger, diced
1 branch of Cilantro leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
Spice blend:
Do yourself a favor. Make this in a huge batch and preserve it in a vaccuum bag until you need it. I do about 4 times the usual measure listed here and save the rest for another batch. Yes, I make this all summer long and I go through it pretty fast.
All amounts for the recipe as used are 1/4 teaspoon. Put them all in a mortar and pestle and grind like mad:
Tumeric
Cardamom
Nutmeg
Mace
Cumin seeds, toasted whole
White Pepper
Cayenne
Coriander
Crushed chile flakes
Get to it:
Okay, in a blender, dump in everything but the chicken and the second lemon. Blend it on low until its turned all pretty colors and is smooth like a Lassi drink. Get thee a one gallon zippy bag and dump in the blender contents. Add the chicken and massage until totally covered with the marinade. Don’t miss a nook or cranny. Let it marinate overnight.
The next day, pull out the bag and let it get to room temperature before you start the grill. Trust me. It makes for more even cooking and no raw spots like you’ve grown used to.
Get the grill damned hot. Put a plate nearby the grill because its gonna grill fast. Shake off the excess marinade and grill the meat for about five to six minutes a side. It will stick a little to the grill and shred slightly as you pull it off. This is called TENDER MEAT, folks. Enjoy it! It’ll help to grease your rack just before grilling… use peanut or sunflower oil.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the meat before serving.
My niece, at 6 years old, devoured half of the family’s portion before we caught on to what she was doing. The rest of us ordered a pizza.
*I highly recommend chicken breast not treated with any kind of solution (aka brined, basted, retained, preserved, or otherwise mutilated). They are designed for people who can’t cook. Brining is for pansy asses who cannot control their heat and like to over cook things. Brined meat (aside from a real long-hour smoking application) cooks up like shit. Period.
