Spice-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Lemon-Cucumber Raita

Name: Spice-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Lemon-Cucumber Raita
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: South Asia — Muslim traditions
Ingredients: 2.5 tbsp coriander seeds; 2.5 tbsp cumin seeds; 2.5 tbsp fennel seeds; 0.5 seedless cucumber; 1.25 cup plain yogurt; 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest; 1 garlic clove; 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper; salt & freshly ground black pepper; 6 boneless chicken breast halves (6 ounce); 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chicken, seedless cucumber and lemon zest baked in the oven and spiced with coriander and cumin for a South Asian raita.

40 min · Serves 6 · Medium

Method

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Time: Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min · 40 min total
Difficulty: medium

1
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small dry skillet, toast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds over moderate heat until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool. Grind the seeds to a fine powder.
3 min
2
Spread the shredded cucumber on several layers of paper towel and blot dry with more paper towels. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, cayenne and 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture; season the raita with salt and pepper.
3
Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture all over the breasts. Heat 2 large ovenproof skillets over moderately high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to each. Add 3 of the breasts to each skillet, skin side down, and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Turn the breasts and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Transfer the skillets to the oven and bake the chicken for about 8 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve the chicken warm, with the raita.