What's For Dinner: Spiced Chicken, Poha And Millet Pudding

Not feeling inspired by your usual dishes? Here's what's for dinner.

Your Seamless account called—it's concerned with the amount of chicken tikka masala you've been ordering lately. We don't blame you. Any reason to consume warm naan is a good one, but your stovetop is starting to feel jealous. Sure, it's easy to order Indian takeout, but it can be just as simple (and more rewarding) to make your own. The spices in these recipes for chicken, flattened rice and millet pudding will wake up taste buds you never knew you had. Plus, you'll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes (and dessert waiting at the end). Beat that, delivery guy.

① Main Course: Chicken in Whole Spices
Homemade spice blends have a leg up on packaged versions. They're invariably fresher, and you can control exactly what goes into the mix. But in the event you don't have a dedicated spice grinder at home, meet your new best friend: whole-spice cooking. After one bite of cardamom, cinnamon, caraway and clove-packed chicken, you won't miss the grind.

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② Side Dish: Sweet Potato, Peanut and Onion Poha
Poha is flattened, unhusked rice, which basically means you can fit twice as much of it into a bowl. It also means that it takes much less time to cook than normal rice. This version from chef Suvir Saran has crunchy peanuts and fresh herbs in addition to a variety of spices.

③ Dessert: Millet Kheer
This contest-winning recipe was submitted by one of our readers, who was born in Calcutta. It has all of the comfort of rice pudding with none of the rice; millet gives it a slightly nutty taste akin to quinoa. And with only five ingredients, it'll be easy to remember the next time you find yourself craving this warm, cardamom-scented delight.