Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Chicken is among the most famous dish of Indian cuisine all over the world and it has made tandoori cuisine famous worldwide. A trip to India is not complete without tasting this marvelous dish.
The spices and coloring gives the chicken a wonderful appearance and produce sensation in the mouth. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with spices, and then baked in tandoor.
Tandoori chicken gets its name from the ovens called tandoor they are cooked in. A Tandoor is a cylindrical large drum like oven made from clay heated with charcoal or wood, they can reach a very high temperature this high temperature helps in cooking the surface of the meat very fast and hence sealing all the juices inside.
You probably do not have a tandoor but outdoor grill or the oven will roast the chicken as good as tandoor will do. The nicest thing about this dish is that it is easy to make and you can cook on the grill or in the oven anytime you feel the urge to eat some.
The spices and coloring gives the chicken a wonderful appearance and produce sensation in the mouth. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with spices, and then baked in tandoor.
Tandoori chicken gets its name from the ovens called tandoor they are cooked in. A Tandoor is a cylindrical large drum like oven made from clay heated with charcoal or wood, they can reach a very high temperature this high temperature helps in cooking the surface of the meat very fast and hence sealing all the juices inside.
You probably do not have a tandoor but outdoor grill or the oven will roast the chicken as good as tandoor will do. The nicest thing about this dish is that it is easy to make and you can cook on the grill or in the oven anytime you feel the urge to eat some.
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Ingredients for marinade:
2 Pounds chicken pieces of your choice 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 Cup plain hung thick yogurt (or thick Greek Style yogurt) 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 1 Teaspoon red chili powder ½ Teaspoon turmeric powder ½ Teaspoon garam masala or to your taste 2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil or melted Butter or ghee 2 to 3 Teaspoon tandoori chicken masala (any brand) - optional 2 Teaspoon crushed kasoori methi (Dry Fenugreek leaves)-optional 1 Teaspoon red food color (optional) 1½ Teaspoon salt or to your taste Ingredients for garnish: Lemon slice Chop 1 onion in rings Cooking measurement conversion Measurement converter |
Chicken legs and thighs
Sliced Onion
Lemon Slice
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Directions to marinate the chicken:
1. Remove skin from the chicken and wash thoroughly under running tap water. Place the Chicken in a bowl.
1. Remove skin from the chicken and wash thoroughly under running tap water. Place the Chicken in a bowl.
Chicken legs & thighs
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Pull the skin & trim the fat out
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2. Tilt the bowl and keep a support under the bowl to keep it tilted for a while so that all the water from chicken drains out, or place the chicken inside of a strainer and let the chicken drain well, otherwise marinade gets watery.
Wash the chicken
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Chicken pieces
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3. With a sharp knife prick the flesh of the chicken all over and make incisions on the pieces. This helps the marinade to go all the way inside the chicken. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl.
Make incisions in chicken pieces
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Incisioned chicken pieces
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4. In a large bowl, add yogurt, grated ginger, minced garlic, Tandoori chicken masala, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, kasoori methi, red color (opional), lemon juice and oil or melted butter or ghee and mix them together and make a smooth paste.
In a bowl add yogurt and all the marinade ingredients
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Mix the marinade ingredients with yogurt
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5. Add washed chicken in the marinade and mix it well.
6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 to 10 hour in the marinade or as long as you have time until you cook chicken. The longer the meat is left in the marinade the better, yogurt act as a tenderizer
6. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 to 10 hour in the marinade or as long as you have time until you cook chicken. The longer the meat is left in the marinade the better, yogurt act as a tenderizer
Add Butter and mix
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Add chicken pieces in marinade
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Mix chicken pieces in marinade
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Chicken marinade with red color
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Direction for grilling the chicken:
1. Thirty minutes before you are ready to cook, take the marinated chicken out
of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
2. If using a charcoal grill, then light the charcoals and let them burn until there
is a white coating of ash on all the coals. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, keep the lid close. Keep some oil in a small bowl and a basting brush aside
3. Once the grill becomes hot with a wire brush cleans the grill. With the brush
lightly oil the grate of the grill.
1. Thirty minutes before you are ready to cook, take the marinated chicken out
of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
2. If using a charcoal grill, then light the charcoals and let them burn until there
is a white coating of ash on all the coals. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, keep the lid close. Keep some oil in a small bowl and a basting brush aside
3. Once the grill becomes hot with a wire brush cleans the grill. With the brush
lightly oil the grate of the grill.
Melted Butter & basting brush
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Heat the grill
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4. Place the marinated chicken on the grate of barbecue grill leaving some space
in between each piece.
in between each piece.
Place the marinated Chicken on hot grill
5. Close the cover of the grill and check in 5 minutes, with the brush apply
some oil or butter over Chicken pieces and close the lid and check it after
another 5 minutes. When the bottom of the chicken pieces get little brown turn
them to other side and let it cook, apply the marinade and oil or butter to other side and cover the grill.
some oil or butter over Chicken pieces and close the lid and check it after
another 5 minutes. When the bottom of the chicken pieces get little brown turn
them to other side and let it cook, apply the marinade and oil or butter to other side and cover the grill.
Chicken on the Grill
6. Keep the lid closed as much as possible. Lift the lid only to apply marinade and brush oil on the chicken in between. Keep a close enough eye out to prevent burning. Chicken thighs and legs take longer to cook.
7. Turn the Chicken as often as needed to prevent burning and keep the grill cover on so the Chicken cooks through quickly.
7. Turn the Chicken as often as needed to prevent burning and keep the grill cover on so the Chicken cooks through quickly.
Turn the chicken
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Apply Butter or oil on the Chicken
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8. Cook till the chicken become tender. To test insert a fork or a knife in the chicken. It should go in with ease and the juices should run clear. However, the meat and juices nearest the bones might still be a little pink even though the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Do not overcook otherwise chicken become dry. Timing of cooking chicken varies because grill temperatures vary from grill to grill.
9. When chicken become tender take it off the grill and place it on a platter and allow barbecued chicken pieces to rest on a platter for 10 minutes before serving. This will help keep the chicken juicy and not let all the juices run out when the chicken is cut in.
10. Sprinkle lemon juice over sliced onions and serve grilled chicken with onions
along with Dhaniya chutney (coriander leave chutney) or Pudina chutney
(Mint leave chutney)
9. When chicken become tender take it off the grill and place it on a platter and allow barbecued chicken pieces to rest on a platter for 10 minutes before serving. This will help keep the chicken juicy and not let all the juices run out when the chicken is cut in.
10. Sprinkle lemon juice over sliced onions and serve grilled chicken with onions
along with Dhaniya chutney (coriander leave chutney) or Pudina chutney
(Mint leave chutney)
Chicken is Grilled
Tandoori Chicken
Instead of grilling chicken on the Barbecue grill you can bake it in the oven
Directions for baking chicken in the oven:
You do not have grill or tandoor to roast the chicken, but do not get discourage you can bake chicken in the oven whenever you feel urge to eat it, it taste as good as roasted on the grill.
1. Preheat the oven at 400 degree.
2. While oven is heating line the baking tray with a foil and place the rack over it. Now carefully place the marinated chicken over the rack leaving some space in between each piece. The rack helps in avoiding the contact of chicken with the dripping juices released while cooking and keep chicken dry and crispy on the surface.
Line a tray and place the rack over it
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Place the marinated chicken pieces over the rack
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3. Place the tray in the hot oven and bake it for 8 to 10 minutes, with the tongs turn the chicken pieces to other side and with the spoon apply some marinade and some oil. Let the chicken bake then turn them again and bake for another 8 to10 minute. Timing of cooking chicken varies because oven temperatures vary from oven to oven.
4. Bake the chicken till it become tender. To test insert a fork or a knife in the chicken, it should go in with ease and the juices should run clear. However, the meat and juices nearest the bones might still be a little pink even though the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Do not overcook otherwise chicken become dry.
4. Bake the chicken till it become tender. To test insert a fork or a knife in the chicken, it should go in with ease and the juices should run clear. However, the meat and juices nearest the bones might still be a little pink even though the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Do not overcook otherwise chicken become dry.
Place the tray in hot oven
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Chicken is baked
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6. Once chicken become tender turn the oven on broil for few minutes so that top surface of chicken become little crisp, take the tray out from the oven and transfer it in to a plate or a platter.
7. Allow baked chicken pieces to rest on a platter for 10 minutes before serving. This will help keep the chicken juicy and not let all the juices run out when the chicken is cut in.
8. When ready to serve garnish baked chicken with onion rings, cilantro and lemon wedges and serve it with Dhaniya chutney (coriander leave chutney) or
Pudina chutney (Mint leave chutney)
7. Allow baked chicken pieces to rest on a platter for 10 minutes before serving. This will help keep the chicken juicy and not let all the juices run out when the chicken is cut in.
8. When ready to serve garnish baked chicken with onion rings, cilantro and lemon wedges and serve it with Dhaniya chutney (coriander leave chutney) or
Pudina chutney (Mint leave chutney)
If you have Tandoor then you can roast chicken in the tandoor
Directions for making the chicken in tandoor:
Directions for making the chicken in tandoor:
- Heat the tandoor, pierce the chicken pieces onto a tandoor skewer and insert in the tandoor and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken become tender.
Chicken baked in tandoor
Tips:
1. Never place cooked chicken on the same bowl or the platter that held raw chicken, it could lead to illness.
2. Cooking times will vary if you have a variety of chicken pieces. Boneless less chicken pieces or chicken breast take less time to cook.
3. Tandoori chicken masala can be purchase from any Indian grocery store.
4. The red food color is added for the looks and has no effect on the taste. If you do not like it you do not have to add color.
5. For marinate thick hung yogurt is preferred otherwise marinate become watery and it would not coat the chicken. If you do not have thick yogurt, take plain yogurt, line a strainer with a cloth or a kitchen towel, put the strainer inside a mixing bowl. The bottom of the strainer must be suspended at least 1 inch above the bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour about 3 cups of yogurt in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator and leave it for 3 to 4 hours or until all the liquid has drips out of the cloth and into the bowl. Scoop out the yogurt and it is ready to be used. Strained yogurt should be thick and less than half the original volume.
1. Never place cooked chicken on the same bowl or the platter that held raw chicken, it could lead to illness.
2. Cooking times will vary if you have a variety of chicken pieces. Boneless less chicken pieces or chicken breast take less time to cook.
3. Tandoori chicken masala can be purchase from any Indian grocery store.
4. The red food color is added for the looks and has no effect on the taste. If you do not like it you do not have to add color.
5. For marinate thick hung yogurt is preferred otherwise marinate become watery and it would not coat the chicken. If you do not have thick yogurt, take plain yogurt, line a strainer with a cloth or a kitchen towel, put the strainer inside a mixing bowl. The bottom of the strainer must be suspended at least 1 inch above the bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour about 3 cups of yogurt in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator and leave it for 3 to 4 hours or until all the liquid has drips out of the cloth and into the bowl. Scoop out the yogurt and it is ready to be used. Strained yogurt should be thick and less than half the original volume.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
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Other recipes:
Chicken kebabs stir fried Beef seekah kebabs
Chicken kebabs Chicken tikka masala
Chicken seekah kebabs Pudina chutney (Mint chutney)
Chicken shammi kebabs Hari chutney or green chutney
(Corriander leaves or dhaniya chutney)
Chicken kebabs stir fried Beef seekah kebabs
Chicken kebabs Chicken tikka masala
Chicken seekah kebabs Pudina chutney (Mint chutney)
Chicken shammi kebabs Hari chutney or green chutney
(Corriander leaves or dhaniya chutney)
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