Think you need a tandoor Indian oven to cook your own tandoori chicken? No! Well, actually you do but here’s a recipe that allows you to get pretty close in your own kitchen!
Marinate your chicken for at least 5 hours before grilling – it really does make a difference! And do try to use chicken on the bone – it is tastier and moister. Substitute for breast if you want just don’t have it under the grill for so long or it will dry out.
This recipe is adapted from the delightful Simon Hopkinson’s on the BBC (The Good Cook). I don’t really like his generic use of the ingredient ‘tandoori spice mix’. Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, let’s do things properly. You can make up a big batch of it and store it.
Oh btw – it won’t be the vivid red you get in your local Indian takeaway. Half the time that is from red food dye.
Serve with raita – recipe to follow tomorrow!
Marinate your chicken for at least 5 hours before grilling – it really does make a difference! And do try to use chicken on the bone – it is tastier and moister. Substitute for breast if you want just don’t have it under the grill for so long or it will dry out.
This recipe is adapted from the delightful Simon Hopkinson’s on the BBC (The Good Cook). I don’t really like his generic use of the ingredient ‘tandoori spice mix’. Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, let’s do things properly. You can make up a big batch of it and store it.
Oh btw – it won’t be the vivid red you get in your local Indian takeaway. Half the time that is from red food dye.
Serve with raita – recipe to follow tomorrow!
Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 4):
1.75kg chicken drumsticks, skin removed (skin off = optional)
2 lemons, juice of
500g natural yoghurt
salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoon homemade tandoori spice mix
Spice mix (makes about 1/2 cup – use about half of this for your chicken tandoori):
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
Method:
1. Make deep scores into the chicken drumsticks with a knife.
2. Massage into the chicken the lemon juice and salt.
3. In another bowl mix the yoghurt and spice mix until combined. Put the chicken into the bowl and massage the mix into the flesh. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about 24 hours, ideally, 5 hours minimum.
4. Heat your oven grill to high.
5. Remove the drumsticks from the mix, shaking off any excess. Lay them on a wire rack over a roasting tin (line the roasting tin with tinfoil – it’ll make cleaning up so much easier). Grill under the hot grill for about 20 minutes, turning regularly. The chicken should be cooked through and juicy, blackened in patches. Season with lemon juice to taste.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
1.75kg chicken drumsticks, skin removed (skin off = optional)
2 lemons, juice of
500g natural yoghurt
salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoon homemade tandoori spice mix
Spice mix (makes about 1/2 cup – use about half of this for your chicken tandoori):
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne
Method:
1. Make deep scores into the chicken drumsticks with a knife.
2. Massage into the chicken the lemon juice and salt.
3. In another bowl mix the yoghurt and spice mix until combined. Put the chicken into the bowl and massage the mix into the flesh. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about 24 hours, ideally, 5 hours minimum.
4. Heat your oven grill to high.
5. Remove the drumsticks from the mix, shaking off any excess. Lay them on a wire rack over a roasting tin (line the roasting tin with tinfoil – it’ll make cleaning up so much easier). Grill under the hot grill for about 20 minutes, turning regularly. The chicken should be cooked through and juicy, blackened in patches. Season with lemon juice to taste.
Scored chicken. I left the skin on…..I like crispy skin.
Marinade ingredients
marinading chicken
under the grill
mmmm. tandoori
Serve with Raita!
