Recipes
Lunch

Tandoori chicken rice bowl with cucumber raita

Yogurt-marinated, tandoori-spiced chicken thighs with basmati rice, a tomato and onion salad and cool cucumber raita.

Tandoori chicken rice bowl with cucumber raita

Budget High protein

Prep
10 min
Cooking
25 min

Per serving

1,142 kcal

Protein
92 g
Carbs
128 g
Fat
28 g
Fibre
8 g

Amounts are scaled to your plan (×2).

In these plans

Ingredients

4 servings

Check every ingredient for allergies and intolerances, and read product labels. Health and safety

  • Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into large pieces 1.2 kg
  • Plain Greek yogurt (2%), divided 800 g ≈ 3 ½ cups
  • Lemon juice 5 ½ tbsp 80 g
  • Garlic, grated 8 cloves 25 g
  • Fresh ginger, grated 2 ½ tbsp 15 g
  • Paprika 2 ½ tbsp 15 g
  • Ground cumin 2 ½ tbsp 15 g
  • Ground turmeric 2 ½ tsp
  • Chili powder 3 tsp
  • Salt 1 ½ tsp
  • Olive oil 2 ½ tbsp 35 g
  • Basmati or white rice, dry, basmati, rinsed 480 g ≈ 2 ½ cups
  • Cucumber, grated 560 g ≈ 5 ½ cups
  • Tomatoes, diced 480 g ≈ 2 ¾ cups
  • Onion, red onion, thinly sliced 160 g ≈ 1 cup
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped 40 g ≈ 2 ½ cups

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix 40 g of the yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, chili powder and most of the salt, then coat the chicken in it.
  3. Spread the chicken on the sheet, drizzle with the oil and bake for 20–22 minutes, until charred at the edges and 74°C (165°F) inside.
  4. Meanwhile, bring the rice and 120 ml (½ cup) water to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 12–15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
  5. For the raita, squeeze the grated cucumber dry and stir it into the remaining yogurt with the last pinch of salt.
  6. Fill a bowl with the rice, chicken, tomato, red onion and cilantro and serve the raita on the side.

Tip: Marinate the chicken the night before for deeper flavour; once cooked it keeps 3 days in the fridge.

No pork or alcohol. Choose halal meat if you eat halal. Nutrition is worked out from USDA FoodData Central values and is an estimate.