Garlic Chicken

Ending 30 days of fasting, Eid ul-Fitr celebrations include an abundance of dishes like this one--full of heady aromas, sweet spices, and lots of flavor. Marinating and cooking the chicken in tangy yogurt keeps it moist, but the yogurt mixture curdles and should be discarded after cooking. Serve the chicken alongside a basmati rice pilaf that's tossed with almonds, raisins, and cumin seeds.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

Ingredients

• 1  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 6  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Combine yogurt, juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine reserved marinade and chicken broth.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Return chicken to pan; pour broth mixture over chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Place chicken on a serving platter; discard liquid in pan. Sprinkle chicken evenly with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

256 (22% from fat)

Fat:

6.2g (sat 1.4g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

42.1g

Carbohydrate:

5.7g

Fiber:

0.5g

Cholesterol:

101mg

Iron:

1.6mg

Sodium:

400mg

Calcium:

104mg