Spicy white chili with Indian flavor

John Klingkamer of Fife Lake, Mich., was looking for a recipe for a five-star white chili. Robert Massarelli of Forest Hill, Md., sent in one of his favorite recipes for white chili. He says it is extremely spicy but can be easily adjusted.

I thought it actually had kind of an Indian flavor thanks to the healthy dose of cumin, and I didn't find it overly spicy.

White Chili

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

1 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 whole boneless chicken breasts

3 cups chicken broth

2 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chiles

2 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

2 7-ounce cans white shoe-peg corn, drained

-- juice from 2 limes

1 tablespoon chile powder

3 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

3 teaspoons white pepper

-- Salt and pepper, as needed

1 cup water, if needed

-- Shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, green onions and sour cream for toppings (optional)

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft, not brown. Set aside.

Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and saute in same skillet until cooked through. Combine cooked chicken, chicken broth, sauteed onion, garlic, chiles, beans, corn, lime juice and spices in a large pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add water if needed. Serve with toppings as desired.

Recipe requests: Jessie Timmons of Winchester, Va., is looking for a cake recipe that she thinks may have been in an ad for Duncan Hines cake mixes in the 1980s. The basic cake was just the box mix, then there was some kind of orange-cream filling between the layers. The sides had a mocha frosting and the top had a light chocolate frosting. She believes one or both of the frostings was made with Cool Whip.

Send requests or answers to requests on a sheet of paper containing your name, address and phone number to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278.