Tandoori Marinade

When Ricky Moore was the chef at IndeBleu, this was his recipe for Tandoori Marinade. It's a healthy way to add zip to fish, chicken, steak or chops without too many extra calories.

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (available at Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 cup yogurt, thick
Butter for basting
1 onion, sliced thin
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon chaat masala (from Indian markets)

Mix cilantro, lemon juice, chili powder, paprika, garlic, ginger and yogurt in bowl.

To use, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Apply marinade to fish, chicken, steak or chops. For chicken or fish, place on a baking tray and bake (about eight minutes for fish, 30 minutes for chicken). Baste with butter and bake five minutes more until done. For steak or chops, broil or grill to desired degree, removing to baste about two to three minutes before the end. Serve hot with thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges. Finish with a sprinkle of chaat masala.

This recipe first appeared in the Northwest, Dupont, Foggy Bottom and Georgetown Current Newspapers.

If you're starting out with authentic Indian cooking, you can hardly do better than buy Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Once you overcome the long list of ingredients that comes with any guide to Indian cuisine, you'll find the actual cooking action really simple.

Related Ingredients...