Chicken Masala

Mmmm. We loved this. The Indian spices weren't too spicy for my kids to like it, but spicy enough that Curtis and I found it interesting. I especially liked that I could make this pretty much entirely ahead of time. I marinated the chicken while the kids were napping and it supper time, just pulled it out of the fridge, put it on the onions and baked it. It couldn't be easier to make in that wonderful unhappy hour right before supper. We had this with cumin-roasted carrots. This will easily serve 4 - 6 people

Easy Chicken Masala
from Bon Appetit

1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T garam masala
2 t coarse salt
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 (4 - 4 1/2 lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (remove backbone, throw in pot and boil for a while to make some good chicken broth)
2 small onions, cut into 1/4" thick slices

Mix yogurt, chopped cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt, and garlic in a 13 x 9" glass baking dish. Add chicken to marinade, one piece at a time, coating all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours (and up to one day). Position rack in top third of oven. Arrange onions on think layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with chicken pieces in a single layer, spacing apart for even roasting (chicken will still be coated with marinade). Discard leftover marinade. Roast chicken in preheated 400 degrees oven on top rack until cooked through and juices run clear when thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Serve chicken on top of onion slices and spoon pan juices around.