Recipe: Coconut Rice and Chicken Tikka

i love indian food and indian cooking! your peach chutney sounds terrific; i made a rhubarb one this past spring as part of a "Indian-Wisconsin Fusion Flavors" cooking class. maybe the following will inspire you?

COCONUT RICE

1/2 cup urad dal

4 cups cooked rice

1-tsp. brown mustard seeds
2 dried red peppers
4 bay leaves (or 10 curry leaves)
1/2 cup melted ghee (or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup broken cashews nuts
1 cup grated unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of asafetida

Rinse urad dal and soak in bowl of water for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Heat mustard seeds, red peppers, and bay leaves in ghee over medium-high heat until mustard seeds begin to pop. Add soaked dal, cashews, coconut, asafetida, and salt. Fry for about 10 minutes, or until coconut becomes toasted and golden.

Remove from heat and gently stir in rice until well combined.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

CHICKEN TIKKA

"Chicken Tikka" is like saying "chicken chicken"; tikka is the Indian word for chicken. This recipe is similar to tandoori chicken, but does not have yogurt in the marinade and the pieces of chicken are threaded on short skewers. It makes a nice hors d'oeuvres or main dish.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, preferably dark meat
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
Spice mixture:
4 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch each of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt, or to taste

3 TB melted ghee

1 medium onion, cut into rings
1 lime, cut into wedges

If using bamboo skewers, soak first for about 15 minutes to prevent burning.

Cut chicken onto 1 1/2" chunks. Marinate chicken in mixture of oil, garlic, ginger, spice mixture, lemon juice, and salt for at least one hour.

Preheat oven broiler or prepare grill. Thread chicken on skewers. Place skewers in broiling pan 3" from heat and broil for 5 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second, OR grill 5"-6" above hot coals, turning and basting as directed. After turning baste with melted ghee. Chicken should be tender and moist, but not pink inside.

Serve on warm platter, garnished with onion rings and wedges of lime.