Recipes

Tandoori Chicken with Lentil, Potato and Pea Curry

Marinating chicken in yogurt overnight results in tender, juicy meat and all that's left to do for dinner the next day is to grill or bake it and prepare an easy side dish

By Catherine RBarr /

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

Chicken marinated overnight in yogurt and exotic spices is tender and juicy

Plan a healthy dinner by adding flavour without calories using delicious spices, and fill up on fibrous legumes and vegetables that are packed with vitamins and minerals

I’m a big fan of Harley Pasternak, a Canadian-fitness-professional-turned-celebrity-trainer who’s worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson and Eva Mendes, so when his new book The 5-factor World Diet came out I was keen to try some of the recipes.

Pasternak has gathered healthy eating tips from different countries during his travels around the world with celebrity clients and has compiled them into a book with over 150 recipes using the “world’s healthiest foods.”

The book has a lot of great recipes and I made a long list of the ones I want to try. This is the first. I followed the chicken recipe exactly but the lentils called for lentils and lemon juice, which didn’t really pull me in (but, of course, is the lower calorie way to go), so I added potatoes, peas and curry sauce. Tasty!

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 1 chicken breast (recipe calls for boneless, skinless but I used bone in, skin on)
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (recipe calls for nonfat yogurt, I call for full fat yogurt)
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup lentils, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small potato, chopped
  • 1/4 cup peas
  • 1/3 cup prepared curry sauce

Instructions

  1. With a sharp knife, make 3 crosswise slashes on top of chicken.
  2. In a nonreactive container or resealable bag, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, tumeric, garam masala, salt and pepper. 
  3. Add chicken and marinate in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  4. Combine lentils, potato and curry sauce and roast in 350F oven for 45 minutes or roast in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. Add peas for last 5 minutes of cooking.
  5. Cook chicken until no longer pink in middle and juices run clear: grill on medium-high heat for about 6 minutes per side, roast in 350F oven for about 30 minutes, or roast in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.

Catherine Roscoe Barr, BSc Neuroscience, is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and fitness professional. Before settling on the west coast she lived in Sydney, Toronto, Oregon, Montana, and practically everywhere in Alberta. She can be found jogging with her adorable dog, dining with her fabulous husband or voraciously reading anywhere comfy.