Served over a bed of Aromatic Basmati Rice, this meal is truly a family favorite! Treat your guests to this wonderful menu at your next dinner party! In addition to it’s incredible sinful flavors, Indian cuisine outshines most others when it comes to healthy eating. India has the lowest rate of cancer.

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
4 to 5 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-in pieces

Curry Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoon garam masala, found in most grocery stores. I know that Harris Teeter carries this spice
2-3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream or evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but best overnight.

When ready to cook, place chicken, with lintel of the yogurt marinade, onto a broiler pan adn broil for about 5 minutes just to dry up the yogurt a bit.

In a saute pan, melt your butter and add garlic. Stir one minute. Add spices adn cook for another minute, stirring, careful not to let them burn. Add tomato sauce, heavy cream or evaporated milk and cilantro. Finish cooking your chicken in your beautiful, simmering curry sauce for about 15 to 20 minutes. This is a great meal to make ahead!

Aromatic Basmati Rice

1 cup Basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or canola oil, optional
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Handful of golden raisins

Combine all ingredients and follow your rice cooker instructions.

Serve with Toasted Cashews for garnish, flavor and texture. I simply toast my nuts in a pan watching and stirring constantly for just a couple of minutes. Nuts contain lots of natural oils, so please be sure to stay right with them, stirring the whole time.

Raita, Mint Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

2 cup  Greek yogurt or regular strained in a coffee filter for a few minutes
1 medium cucumber, grated with liquid squeezed out
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1-inch of ginger root, grated
Juice of one lemon
½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Naan Bread

2 cups unbleached all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of baking soda
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Combine yeast and water; let your yeast do it’s thing for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add oil and yogurt, stir with your hands until it looks like a crumbly dough.

Add yeast mixture. Stir with your hands. It will seem wet adn sticky. Just add a little bit more flour so that you can knead for a couple of minutes into a soft dough.

Place in a greased bowl and cover with a towel. keep in a warm place and let rise until double size.

30 minutes before your dough has fully risen, preheat your oven to 500 degrees ad place two baking stones in your oven to heat up.

Place a little bench flour onto your clean counter and tear off six equal pieces of dough.

Roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. use a little water on your hands and toss the dough back and forth between your hands for a few seconds. Place dough on your baking stones. You should be able to fit three on each stone.

bake for about 10 minutes or until bubbly and brown. This is the best bread to soak your curry in!