Barbecued chicken or fish … with the spices and surprise of India - recipes

Sunset, Nov, 1990

Home cooking, Indian-style, makes frequent use of the barbecue much like family-style cooking in the West. But it's the subtle seasonings Indian cooks use that add an unusual dimension to everyday foods. For a simple Indian-style meal, try barbecued chicken breasts with fresh carrot chutney or barbecued fish fillets with a cool mint-cilantro sauce.

Indian-style Barbecued Chicken

8 boned and skinned chicken breast halves (about 2 1/2 lb. total)

1 cup nonfat or low-fat unflavored yogurt

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 whole cloves

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne

Salt

Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a bowl, mix yogurt, garlic, ginger, chili, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne to taste. Add chicken and mix well; cover and chill for 6 hours or up until next day. Mix occasionally.

Lift meat from marinade and place on a grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of hot coals (you can hold your hand at grill level for only 2 to 3 seconds). Cook, basting with remaining marinade, until meat is white in thickest part (cut to test), 12 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste. Makes 6 to 8 servings.-Aban Lal, Antioch, Calif.

Per serving: 178 cal.; 35 g protein; 1.9 g fat; 3.4 g carbo.; 115 mg sodium; 83 mg chol.

Fruit and Carrot Chutney

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup cider vinegar

2 cups firmly packed finely shredded carrots

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried figs

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Salt

Stir almonds frequently in a 2- to 3-quart pan over medium heat until nuts are golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, carrots, raisins, dates, figs, apricots, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, and cayenne. Bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and mixture is reduced to about 4 cups, about 25 minutes; as mixture thickens, watch carefully and stir often to avoid scorching.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Add salt to taste. If made ahead, cover and chill up to 1 week. Makes about 4 cups.

Per tablespoon: 32 cal.; 0.4 g protein; 0.6 g fat; 6.8 g carbo.; 2.8 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Grilled Lingcod with Mint Relish

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed and seeded

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup sweetened shredded dry coconut

2 pounds boned and skinned lingcod or rockfish fillets, each about 1 inch at thickest part

Salt

In a blender or food processor, whirl mint, cilantro, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, chili, garlic, and cumin until smoothly pureed. Stir in coconut. Set aside.

Rinse fish, pat dry, and cut into 4 equal pieces. On a grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of hot coals (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds), position fish so grain is at right angles to grill bars. Cook until edges of fish begin to turn opaque; then, sliding a wide spatula along the grill bars and under the fillets, turn the fish over. Cook until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in thickest part (cut to test), 8 to 12 minutes total.

With spatula, transfer fish to a platter and top each portion equally with the mint-cilantro mixture. Add salt to taste. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 163 cal; 27 g protein; 3.7 g fat; 4.1 g carbo.; 108 mg sodium; 79 mg chol.