padma lakshmis tandoori chicken salad

Chicken

Padma Lakshmis Tandoori Chicken Salad

Padma Lakshmi's tandoori salad features chicken marinated in yogurt and plenty of spices, along with lots of crunchy vegetables including cucumber, cabbage, jicama and radishes. Her technique of cooking the chicken in its marinade and then using that cooked marinade as a salad dressing is genius—it infuses the salad with tons of flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely minced (optional)
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, gently flattened and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
3 cups shredded red cabbage
3 cups diced plum tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumber
1 ½ cups diced jicama
1 cup sliced radishes
1 small bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
juice of 2 small lemons, or to taste

Directions

To make chicken: Whisk yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt and jalapeño (if using) in a shallow dish. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the vegetables.
Meanwhile, make salad: Combine lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, jicama, radishes, scallions and cilantro in a large bowl; toss to combine.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and marinade; cook, stirring occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer the chicken and the pan juices to the bowl with the salad. Add lemon juice to taste; toss to combine.