Ingredients

• 1 serrano pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ginger stir-in paste
• Large zip-top bag
• ¾ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 8 (12-inch) wooden skewers
• Cooking spray

Steps

1. Chop serrano finely, removing membranes and seeds if desired; chop garlic finely. Place serranos, garlic, salt, and ginger paste in small bowl; smash until combined and mostly smooth. Place mixture in bag, then add yogurt, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, brown sugar, paprika, and garam masala; knead gently to combine.
2. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and add to bag (wash hands); seal and knead gently to coat well. Chill 1 hour (or overnight) to marinate.
3. Preheat grill (or grill pan) on medium. Remove chicken from bag (discard marinade) and thread onto skewers (wash hands), then coat with spray. Grill 20–22 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is grill-marked and 165°F. Serve with Spiced Basmati Rice.

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin)
• 2 star anise
• 3 green cardamom pods (or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom)
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Steps

1. Preheat small Dutch oven on medium-high 2–3 minutes; crush peppercorns. Place oil and butter in Dutch oven; let melt. Add peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, and cardamom pods; cook and stir 2 minutes or until toasted.
2. Stir in rice; cook 2 more minutes, stirring continuously. Stir in water, salt, and coconut, then cover. Remove from heat when steam escapes lid. (Do not lift lid; doing so will prevent rice from cooking properly.)
3. Let stand 20 minutes, then uncover and fluff rice with fork. Remove cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, and cardamom pods. Serve.