Indian Tandoori Chicken……

Tandoori chicken is probably the most popular non-vegetarian dishes on an Indian menu . Tandoori Chicken is loved by people the world over. The nicest thing about this dish though, is that it’s really easy to make!

Chicken is marinated overnight in a spicy yogurt marinade then grilled either in an oven or in an outdoor grill.

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces

OR

8 chicken drumsticks washed & skinned .

MARINADE:

Yogurt – 1 cup, well beaten

Ginger Paste – 1 tbsp

Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp

Red Chili Powder – 1tsp

Paprika – 1/2 tsp

Tandoori Masala – 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp

Red Food Color – 2 drops, optional

Directions

Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a dish and add the lemon juice .
Give it a good mix and let it sit while getting the marinade ready.
Pour all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Add the marinade to the chicken and give another good mix. Make sure all the pieces are well coated with the yogurt mixture.
Store in the refrigerator to marinate overnight or minimum of 4 hours for best results.

Pre heat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil The grill plate .
Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear.

OR

Pre heat your oven to 420 *F , While it is heating, line a baking tray with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray or smear with cooking oil. Lay the pieces on this foil and drizzle lightly with cooking oil.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, then turn pieces and bake for another 15 minutes. Test chicken to see if cooked & juices run clear .

Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges and serve with Mint chutney .

It is best served with long grain basmati Rice , Onion, lemon wedges and cucumber salad and eaten with Tandoori Rotis or Naan

NOTE:

To make the Tandoori chicken, clean the chicken thoroughly then using a sharp knife cut slashes in the flesh all over the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a non reactive large, shallow dish.

To get the perfect taste of a authentic Tandoori chicken it is best to Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight after marinating the chicken. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Chicken thighs also work very well for this recipe in combination with or as an alternative to the chicken drumsticks.

You can use boneless chicken for the same recipe as well.

This dish can be prepared a couple of days in advance up to the point of marinating and kept in the fridge in an airtight container.

Tandoori Masala can be bought at any Indian grocery store or you can find home made recipe here at my friend Sonal Gupta’s blog .