Lettuce Wraps with Tandoori Chicken and Onion Raita

 

To me, barbeque season is not complete without the ‘finger licking good’ tandoori chicken hot off the grill!  Here the delectable tandoori juxtaposes with the cool Onion Raita and the crisp lettuce wraps it all in a neat package, just waiting to be devoured!

Tandoori tastes best when the chicken is marinated  overnight in the refrigerator. I usually make the garam masala for the tandoori myself. But in trying to keep this recipe easy, I used a store bought Tandoori masala which has chili powder added to it. I like my food spicy, so the amount of tandoori masala specified in my recipe makes it medium hot. The simple sweet and savory rub I make with this gives the tandoori chicken an additional  layer of flavor! The sea salt gives it a nice crust and the brown sugar caramelizes during the grilling process. The ghee-infused baste adds the final touch to the Tandoori Chicken!

 

Tandoori Chicken

serves 2

For the Tandoori Chicken Marinade-

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated
• 1 cloves of garlic ,peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon readymade tandoori chicken masala such as Shan brand. If you don’t like your food spicy, reduce the amount to 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

The chicken-

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs. (For this recipe, I prefer the thigh meat for it’s moistness.)

For the rub-

• Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar + 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (or to taste) + 1/8 teaspoon of Tandoori chicken masala

For Basting-

• Combine 1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)+1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil+ 1/4 teaspoon lime juice (just a squeeze of fresh lime)

To serve-

• Lettuce leaves and Onion Raita

 

The Procedure-

1. Whisk the yogurt, add all the ingredients for the marinade and mix.
2. Wash and pat the chicken dry. Add one skinless, boneless chicken thigh to the marinade, and prick it with a fork on both sides.
3. Repeat with the other piece of chicken.
4. Coat the chicken with the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.

   

5. Just before grilling, remove the chicken from the marinade and sprinkle the rub on both sides. Lightly pat it down on the chicken.

   

6. Grill the chicken, basting it with the basting liquid.

   

7. When cooked, remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes.
8. Slice the chicken.
9. In each lettuce leaf , spread a little Onion Raita, top with the Tandoori Chicken and serve.

Tips/Notes/Variations

• You may marinate extra batches of the chicken and then  freeze them. I freeze small batches of 2 chicken thighs in individual freezer bags. So when I want to make the tandoori chicken, I defrost a batch and am ready to grill!