Date Night-- Indian Food

So we finally got a date night, but were too broke to go out, so I decided to make the experience at home. And without kids, we could have spicy without complaint, so I made Indian food. Some of this is from scratch, and some I cheated a little. Also, I am a big believer in reducing and reusing, even extending that to food. You will notice I am using leftover garbanzo beans from when I made falafal.



Tandoori Chicken

1/2 cup tandoori paste (I like LAXMI brand)
1 cup greek yogurt
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 small onion
1 small lemon

In a mixing bowl, mix together yogurt and tandoori paste. Spread on chicken on both sides, and marinate in the refrigerator for five hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Next, put in a fairly shallow baking dish, with all of the paste mixture.

Slice the onions and lemon and arrange around the chicken. Cook for about 35 minutes or until juices inside the chicken run completely clear.










Lentils & Rice
2 cups jasmine rice
1 cup lentils
2 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. mint
1 tbsp. sesame oil
salt

In a pot, bring 4 cups of water and 2 cups of rice to a boil. Add sesame oil and salt, reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Towards the end of cooking the rice, add the tumeric, mint, and parsley. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of lentils to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Drain lentils, if necessary, and mix with rice.



Chana Masala
1 cup of cooked garbanzo beans
3 cups frozen spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil

Sautee the chopped onion in the olive oil, until almost clear, and add garlic to the mixture. Add all spices and stir well. Once all is blended, add chickpeas, and stir to coat with spice mixture. Add frozen spinach and stir occasionally until cooked through. Sprinkle lemon juice to taste.



Serve the rice & lentils, chana masala, and tandoori chicken with pita bread, naan or tortilla. Garnish with lemon slices for squeezing over the chicken.



For dessert:

This is a simple idea I read in this month's Marie Claire.

Peel, dice, and de-seed oranges (I used tangerines). Sprinkle with honey and cinnamon and serve. It's nice and light and refreshing!



Notes about this meal: This was delish, but killed our stomachs. Not for the faint or heart and/or tummy. I buy my Indian spices at an Indian grocery, but Amazon also carries a lot of them.