potluck perfection

My food-loving co-workers decided a couple of weeks ago that a potluck would be in order. Who am I to argue, given that every member of the team loves to eat. It's well-known throughout the company that if you want something to eat, come by our department and you will never go hungry. So, we got to organizing who will bring what and Dina had the excellent idea that I should contribute chicken tikka, the spicy Indian dish of marinated grilled chicken.

The first step was to marinate the chicken for 24 hours. Plain yogurt was combined with garlic, ginger, lemon juice, salt, tandoori powder, chili powder and some vegetable oil. The cubes of chicken breast were mixed into the marinade until completely coated and then covered and placed in the fridge overnight.

The next day I sliced a large onion and some green and red bell peppers and barbecued them in a grilling basket, sprinkled with a little bit of oil. The chicken was skewered and grilled to perfection. The key to keeping the chicken moist is to make sure to tightly skewer the pieces, ensuring no gaps in between and putting as many as you can fit on each skewer. When the grilling was done, the chicken (taken off the skewers) and vegetables were mixed together and placed in the fridge until the big event.

To say that our contribution to the pot luck was a hit is quite the understatement. There was absolutely nothing left when my co-workers were through. Even my buddy, Steve, who never had Indian food before and started with only a single cube of chicken, came back for 2 more heaping portions and boldly exclaimed, "Nobody touch this chicken, it's really not very good!" in a successful attempt to reserve another portion.

Dina, you've done it again. Now, if I get a promotion, I'll know who to thank.