"For the Love of Yum" Green Chicken Skewers with a Cucumber & Papaya Raita

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR Kitchen"For the Love of Yum" Green Chicken Skewers with a Cucumber & Papaya Raita

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	30 minutes (+ marinating time)
Servings	6	Cost Per Serving	$2.67

Green Chicken Skewers

2 lbs (about 1kg)	Skinless, Boneless Chicken (thigh or breast), cubed
4 cloves	Garlic
1/2 cup	Fresh Mint
1/2 cup	Cilantro
1	Green Chili (optional)
1	Lime, juiced
1/2 tsp	Turmeric
1 tsp	Garam Masala
1/2 tbsp	Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cucumber & Papaya Raita

In a food processor, blend your garlic, mint, cilantro, green chili (optional), lime juice, ground cumin, turmeric, garam masala, olive oil or grape seed oil, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Place your cubed chicken in a bowl, and pour the marinade over top. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for the same amount of time that you marinate the chicken.
Place about 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer and set aside. Over a hot bbq grill or in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F, cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
For the raita, combine all ingredients together, mix well and serve a couple spoonfuls with each skewer of chicken.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Green Chicken Skewers with a Cucumber & Papaya Raita

Turmeric is an ingredient in many South Asian recipes. It is also the ingredient that makes bottled mustard yellow. Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects that may play a role in chronic disease prevention.
Curcumin has been shown to destroy cancer cells in laboratory studies and prevent cancer development and tumour growth in lab animals.
Most curry recipes contain turmeric and black pepper for the taste, but there is also a nutrition-related reason. Curcumin is not well absorbed in the gut, but a compound in black pepper called piperine improves its absorption.