Yields 4
Tandoori chicken is high on my list of favourite Indian dishes. The first time I made tandoori chicken, a friend was just back from exchange program in India and talked about it a lot, so I bought the next tandoori marinade paste I saw in the shop. That was ages ago and I have come to a better understanding of Indian cooking and spices since then. This recipe is the real deal, better than the tandoori marinade paste you buy and takes away the headache of buying the wrong tandoori masala packet. Enjoy this moist tandoori chicken packed with flavour.
10 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1.3kg chicken (cut in 4, skinned)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (see note)
- 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste (about a thumb of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic)
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoon plain yoghurt
- Red food colouring to achieve the colour. (you can use a few drops of red colour or 1 tsp beetroot powder)
Instructions
- Cut chicken in 4 and remove skin. Make slashes on the chicken with a sharp knife.
- In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients and mix nicely. The white yoghurt will make the red colouring appear pinkish, resist the temptation to add more colour, you need only a few drops, It will end up reddish with the cooking.
- Drop chicken into marinade, properly coat the chicken. Cover bowl and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to a day, the long marinating period does justice to the final product.
- Preheat your oven to 180˚C. If you have a cast iron skillet, heat in the oven now.
- Place the preheated cast iron skillet on medium to high heat, lightly grease it and sear the chicken on both sides, return the skillet with the chicken to the over and bake for 30 minutes. Coat chicken with the remaining marinade. I like the result this way.
- If you do not have a cast iron skillet, preheat an oven tray in the oven or a baking pan, place chicken pieces in it and bake for 30 minutes. Coat chicken with remaining marinade. If your chicken is bigger, add about 5 minutes to the cooking time or until the core temperature reads 74˚C.
- Garnish with salad leaves, sliced cucumber and tomatoes. Enjoy with rice or naan bread.
Notes
Using garam masala is a shortcut, if you are new to Indian cooking, there are loads of spices to keep up with. If you cannot find garam masala in your area, you can make it: - seeds from 10 green cardamom pods - 3 teaspoons coriander seeds - 3 teaspoons cumin seed - ¾ teaspoon ground cloves - 2 teaspoons black pepper corns - 1 cinnamon broken in pieces. - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg - 2 bay leaves. Dry roast cardamom, coriander and cumin seeds in a pan till fragrant (do not burn, it will give a bitter flavour). Add all the other ingredients to a spice blender and blend till fine powder is achieved, store in airtight container for about a month.
Prep and Cook time do not include the period for marinating.
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