Rev Up Your Metabolism With Spicy Tandoori Chicken

By Remi Patel

Finding foods we can truly enjoy that satisfy our hunger and are low in calories is definitely important. Avoiding fast foods, sweets and sugary sodas is essential if we want to stay at a good weight and keep our metabolism running properly. There is so much temptation to make poor eating choices and so few delicious healthy alternatives. My favorite healthy food I actually enjoy is tandoori chicken.

What makes tandoori chicken so delicious is in the way it is cooked. It is usually cooked at high temperatures in a clay oven called a Tandoor. Tandoori food is often considered the culinary pride of the Indian people, and known as a Punjabi specialty. It is prepared with the greatest of care and the passion for this cooking often translates to amazing food. Heat in a tandoor is generated from lit coals at the base of the oven (which has a similar shape to a pot-belly stove). As the food inside it cooks, its juices drop down onto the hot coals, producing deliciously flavored smoke that is the signature of the tandoor.

Tandoori Chicken is a glorious dish and perfect to serve at any dinner party. It is without question my favorite dish and it is good for you and your weight loss goals as well. When preparing spicy and succulent tandoori chicken you can take pride in knowing you are eating a healthy food that will nourish you and satisfy your stomach too. The main key to juicy tandoori chicken is not to over-grill it. If you are using a tandoor, be sure to keep a close eye on your chicken as it cooks.

Tandoori chicken should be marinated for 24 hours, so you can begin preparation the day before. Mix yogurt and tandoori spices in a large bowl. Stir together 1 cup of yogurt and tandoori masala spices. This spicy marinade will make the tandoori chicken spicy and bursting with flavor. In India you would need a glass of water close by, but in Western places like the United States and Canada a more mild form of the marinade is more commonly applied.

Once your marinade is ready, you will need to rinse and clean your chicken pieces. Fork the chicken pieces as this will help the marinade absorb into the chicken. Place in the plastic bag, and add in the marinade. Ideally, you will want to let the chicken marinade overnight, but letting it sit for 4 hours should produce a delicious taste in your tandoori chicken. The chicken simply gets better if its allowed to marinate overnight. Cover the bowl you use with plastic wrap or aluminum foil before putting in the refrigerator.

After you have successfully made tandoori chicken there is so much you can do with the left overs. You could make a spicy tandoori chicken salad or a healthy and rib sticking soup. Make a delicious sandwich with whole wheat bread or mix the chicken with a whole grain rice. The possibilities are endless, and they are all low in fat! I hope you notice how wonderful tandoori chicken can be and how fun it can be to prepare. Here is to you and your good health! - 31843

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