Traditionally cooked in a tandoor (clay oven). This is perhaps the most popular chicken dish from Northern India, where it is served with naan and laccha. You can never get exactly the same results at home but this is a very good approximation.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) chicken or skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
For the marinade:
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 5 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, roughly chopped
- 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) thick plain yoghurt
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons clear vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon tandoori food coloring (optional)
- 2 tablespoons ghee onion rings
- Lemon wedges
Method:
Remove the skin from the chicken and cut the chicken in half. Using a sharp knife, make 2.5 cm (1 inch) long diagonal incisions on each limb and breast, taking care not to cut through to the bone. If using thighs and drumsticks, trim away any excess fat and make an incision in each piece.
To make the marinade, place a frying pan over low heat and dry-roast the coriander seeds until aromatic. Remove and dry-roast the cumin seeds. Grind the roasted seeds to a fine powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Blend all the marinade ingredients in a food processor to form a smooth paste. Season with salt, to taste. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the onion, garlic and ginger more finely and mix with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
Marinate chicken in the spicy yoghurt marinade for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Turn the chicken occasionally in the marinade to ensure that all sides are soaked.
Heat oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Place chicken on a wire rack on a baking tray. Cover with foil and roast on the top shelf for about 45 minutes or until cooked through (test by inserting a skewer into a thigh – the juices should run clear). Baste chicken with the marinade once during cooking. Remove the foil 15 minutes before the end of cooking, to brown the tandoori mixture. Preheat grill (broiler) to its highest setting.
Heat the ghee, prior to serving, while the chicken is still on the rack, and pour it over the chicken halves. Cook under the grill (broiler) for 5 minutes to blacken the edges of the chicken like a tandoor.
Serve the chicken garnished with onion rings and lemon wedges. The chicken pieces can also be grilled (broiled), barbecued or spit-roasted.
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