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–+ servings

tanduri chicken

The classic North Indian dish. Tandoori chicken is not hot, but has a gentle and subtle spice background. Part of the flavour comes from the slightly charred outside of the chicken. This recipe suits barbecue cooking.
pieces of tandoori chicken
prepare: 15 minutes
cook: 15 minutes
marinate: 1 day 4 hours
total time: 1 day 4 hours 25 minutes
difficulty: moderate
yield: 4 servings
calories: 511 kcal
diet: gluten free
cuisine: Indian, mughlai, punjabi

equipment

  • large bowl
  • small frypan

ingredients

  • 800 g chicken thigh fillets

first marinade

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 lemon - juiced
  • ½ tsp tandoori food colour - optional

second marinade

for serving

instructions

first marination

  • Make some parallel deep cuts into the chicken thigh fillets on both sides and rub with the salt and lemon juice. Place into a bowl.
  • If using food colour, dissolve it in two tablespoons of water, and paint the chicken.
  • Cover and set aside in a refrigerator for four hours.

second marination

  • Place a small frypan on medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Toast them until they become aromatic then remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, grind to a fine powder.
  • Make a smooth paste from the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, garam masala, the ground cumin seeds and yoghurt.
  • Add the yoghurt paste to the chicken. Using your hands, completely coat the chicken, and work the marinade into the cuts. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate overnight at a minimum, or better, several days.

to cook

  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before you start cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
  • The chicken can be baked, grilled, or barbecued. Make sure the oven, griller or barbecue is preheated to its maximum temperature.
  • Shake excess marinade off the chicken and cook until just done. The oven will take 20 minutes, a griller or barbecue takes about 5 minutes a side. Use a food thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 72 °C at the thickest part of the chicken. It is acceptable and desirable to have a little charring of the marinade.

to serve

  • Remove the chicken from the heat, rest for 5 minutes, then cut into suitable sized pieces.
  • Place the chicken onto a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with slices of tomato and cucumber on the side.

notes

  • You must start this recipe at least the day before you intend to cook it.
  • The chicken needs two separate marination periods and is best left overnight or longer for the second marination.
  • The best cooking method is to use a tandoor. Second best is to use a hot coal barbecue. Cooking under a hot grill is preferrable to baking in an oven.
  • The accepted temperature for chicken is 74C. Cooking to 72C and then resting will ensure you have safely cooked the meat.
  • Ensure you remove any skin from the chicken to prepare the dish.
  • You can use almost any cut of chicken. Thighs, whole legs, drumsticks, or breasts are preferrable. Adjust cooking times appropriately for the different cuts. Bone-in chicken will take longer to cook.

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nutrition

Serving: 200 g | Calories: 511 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 36 g | Fat: 35 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 201 mg | Sodium: 797 mg | Potassium: 766 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 670 IU | Vitamin C: 25 mg | Calcium: 95 mg | Iron: 2 mg