Tandori Chicken and Curry Okra

Love love LOVE Indian food! Especially when you make it yourself; you avoid the excess oil and are able to jack up the heat!

Curry Okra
1 lb okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, washed and dried for 30 minutes
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 TBSP ginger, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each: turmeric, cumin and curry powder
1 tsp each: corriander, red chili and cayenne
1 TBSP plain yogurt
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 large tomato, seeds removed and chopped
Fresh mint and cilantro
Veggie oil

Tandoori Chicken
1 3lb chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/2 C plain yogurt
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP peeled and grated or crushed ginger root
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cardamom pod, cracked
3 whole cloves
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
Slices of cucumber, red (Spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

The chicken is easy. Marinate the chicken in the first 11 ingredients (after the chicken of course) overnight. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, remove excess marinade and brush with oil and salt. Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn heat to broil and broil each side for about 7 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn off oven and let the chicken cool in oven for 25 minutes.

For the okra, fry the onion, garlic and ginger in veggie oil until browned. Add the okra and continue cooking for another few minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and yogurt and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomato and heat through. Remove the veggies and add 1/4 C of water to the hot skillet to remove the bits from the bottom and create a sauce. Pour this over the veggies. Serve with the garnish of your choice.

Serve both dishes on a large platter with rice on the side.