These Tandoori Chicken Tzatziki Pita Pockets are perfect for a quick weeknight meal or even lunch. I often whip these up ahead of time and assemble them at the last minute when I’m in a hurry. The Tzatziki will stay fresh in the fridge (in an airtight sealed container) for upwards of one week although in my house it’s usually gone in a few days. Grill a batch of the tandoori chicken a few days ahead, and it can re-purposed for other dishes as well as this one. Make-ahead dishes are my favorite, time is very precious and unpredictable due to the baby, therefore make-ahead meals are definitely a lifesaver when those hunger pangs hit. I find that the Tandoori Chicken and Tzatziki complement each other very well, the cucumber and onion garnish gives the dish a welcome freshness and sumac closes the dish out with a much-needed zing! Fusion food is amazing when it works so well together, just like Indian Chinese and in this case Indian Greek. I hope you guys enjoy it!
Tandoori Chicken Tzatziki Pita Pockets
Ingredients
Making the Tandoori Chicken
- 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
- 1 cup Regular or Greek Yogurt
- 1 inch Piece of Ginger Peeled
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2-3 Green Chillis
- 1 tsp Sumac
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves Kasuri Methi
- 4 tbsp Shan Tandoori Masala
- 2 tsp Salt Adjust according to your taste.
- 1 Sliced onion
- Lemon or Lime Wedges
- 1 Chopped Plum Tomato
- 1/2 Cucumber Slices
- Chopped Lettuce I used mixed greens
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil Or anyone oil of your choice
Tzatziki Sauze Ingredients
- 3/4 Cucumber Diced
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 6 Garlic Cloves Peeled
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Good Quality EVOO
- 2 cups Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper
- 1/3 cup Finely Chopped Fresh Dill Optional
- 4 Whole Wheat Pitas with Pocket
Instructions
- Place the yogurt, ginger, garlic, chilies, tomato, Sumac, fenugreek leaves, Shan Tandoori Masala, and salt in a blender and grind into a paste.
- Mix with the chicken and tandoori marinade prepared above and set aside for 2-3 hours to marinate (I marinate it overnight to improve the flavor ten fold).
- Skewer the chicken onto bamboo skewers. SOAK YOUR BAMBOO SKEWERS IN HOT WATER FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE USING!
- Place a pan on the the stove (this is what I use on weeknights, a regular grill or broiling works well as well) and spray evenly with the cooking spray.
- Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes and turn (the chicken should have golden brown spots across the chicken.
- Cook for another 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the sliced onions and toss for 2-3 minutes till the onions are slightly sauteed. Set aside.
Making the Tzatziki
- Prep the cucumber. In a food processor, grate the cucumbers you can also do this by hand if you do not have a food processor. Toss with 1/2 tsp sea salt. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer over a deep bowl to drain. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a thick cleam towel and squeeze dry. Set aside briefly.
- Make the garlic paste. Clean and dry the food processor. Place the garlic cloves in the food processor. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the vinegar. Turn the machine on and stream the olive oil in through the feed tube, and let the machine run until it pushes the garlic to one side. Stop the machine, and scrape down the sides then run the processor again. Do this for five times or so until the garlic turns into a wet, mushy paste. You can also do this in a blender if you do not have a Food Processor.
- Combine and chill. Add the cucumber and garlic paste to a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt, dill (optional) and white pepper. Combine thoroughly, sweeping the sides and the bottom of the bowl so the garlic paste gets evenly incorporated. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the flavors can meld together.
Putting Your Pita Together
- Chop the chicken up into bite size pieces.
- Mix the Tandoori Chicken and Tzatziki together. Toast your pita for about two minutes, open to create a pocket for the stuffing. You can also grill the pita to create those beautiful grill marks if you desire.
- Place the chicken/tzatziki mixture in the toasted pita. Top with sliced onions, lettuce sliced cucumber, tomatoes, a spritz of lime juice and a dash of Sumac Enjoy!
Notes
Those look amazing! I’m always looking for something new to try ! Great recipe!
Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy it!
Make ahead dishes are EVERYTHING when you have kids! Means no matter what happens there is a healthy tasty meal waiting!
I couldn’t agree more! It’s definitely a learning experience at first.
Well that just looks so tasty!!! And I like your idea of having them on hand to put together quick!! Yum!
i love these kind of sandwiches as a dinner!
xx
http://www.malibluemymind.com/2018/02/sunday-at-maze.html
Yup another delicious looking recipe. Thanks so much for providing your recipes with us so that we can learn to cook delicious meals too ❤️
Anytime Jenna!