Oh summer, how I love thee for the four months that you stay nice and hot. Because for many of us, hot and sunny days signify one thing for sure. BBQ SEASON!
I love to grill chicken, fish, the occasional lamb or beef, and lots of veggies (like peppers, mushrooms, onions, Portobello mushroom burgers, asparagus, corn, eggplant, and the list can go on) and even fruits for a nice dessert (like pineapples or figs).
That plus I also enjoy trying different ethnic cuisines and flavours from all regions of the world (South Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, African, Asian, European, and South American). Variety is the “spice” of life, and it’s allowed me to appreciate that region’s staple produce, herbs, and spices that are used to create flavourful dishes. When it comes to barbequing chicken, I love my chicken to be full of flavour so I created a recipe that was simple, healthy, flavourful, and culturally inspired by my Indian roots. When it comes to meat marinades, my household avoids a lot of store-bought sauces and marinades that contain a list of ingredients that I can’t pronounce, don’t know what they are, and contain sugar, preservatives, and food dyes.
An ingredient list on a jar of Indian tandoori paste contains three colours, E163, E122, E129, which I don’t think that food should have numeric codes as an ingredient. It makes our food part of an industrialized food supply, and no longer real food to support health. Food dyes are found in many processed and packaged foods, either by numerical codes as read above or by names like “Red 40” or “Yellow 6”. Artificial food colours are derived from petroleum, are a possible carcinogen, and can contribute to hyperactivity and other behavioural issues in children. Funny enough (or maybe not so funny at all), many of the dyes are banned in the European Union or require a warning label, yet this is not the case for North America.
By adding health supportive ingredients like turmeric, cumin, garlic, and ginger, this Indian barbeque chicken recipe is free of food colours, preservatives, sugar and other unrecognizable ingredients.
Turmeric – anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, promotes skin health, promotes liver detoxification, pain treatment, can be used in treatment of arthritis, diabetes, and bowel diseases
Garlic – antimicrobial, antifungal, prevents sickness like common cold, reduces risk of cancer, reduces risk of heart disease
Cumin – regulates digestion, strengthens immune system, treats asthma and respiratory ailments, promotes skin health, prevents anemia
Ginger – anti-inflammatory, treats nausea, prevents sickness like common cold, aids in detoxification, aids in digestion, promotes intestinal and bowel health
Indian Spiced Barbeque Chicken
Recipe by Jasmin Jagpal
[Gluten-Free, Paleo Option]
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 – 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless pastured chicken breasts or thighs (thighs are juicier)*
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp finely chopped ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt**
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Garnish:
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, quartered into 8 wedges total
Instructions:
To prepare the marinade, combine all of the main ingredients except for the chicken in a large bowl, and mix well.
Clean and skin the chicken of any extra bits that might need to be removed. Pierce the chicken flesh with a fork. Add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade and stir well until the chicken is covered. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight or at least 8 hours.
Barbeque the chicken over medium-high heat for 20 – 25 minutes (depending on the internal temperature of the barbeque) until it is fully cooked (should not have any trace amounts of pink inside).
Garnish with the cilantro and squeeze the juice from the lime wedges all over the chicken, and serve. Enjoy!
* 2 to 2 1/2 lbs of chicken breast is approximately 5 – 6 breast portions
** For a paleo option, swap the Greek yogurt for coconut cream (the solid white portion at the top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk that’s been refrigerated for at least 8 hours). I have not tried this version yet, but if you do try it, let me know how it works!
Note: I made the chicken in my picture above using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I also cooked them on a foil tray in the barbeque, which is why the chicken doesn’t have the grill marks.
References
Rowe, K S, and K J Rowe. “Synthetic Food Coloring and Behavior: a Dose Response Effect in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Repeated-Measures Study.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 1994, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7965420.
Kanarek, R B. “Artificial Food Dyes and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21729092.
Potera, Carol. “DIET AND NUTRITION: The Artificial Food Dye Blues.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2957945/.
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