Name: Tandoori Chicken
Prep time: 300 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 335 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 1.2kg, cut into leg and breast pieces, skin scored); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp salt; 200 ml plain yoghurt (thick, for the marinade); 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain); 2 tbsp mustard oil (or melted ghee); 1 whole lemon (cut into wedges, for serving); 1 whole onion (sliced into rings, for serving)

Method

First marinade

Rub the chicken pieces all over with lemon juice and salt, working the marinade into the deep score marks on the skin.

Scoring the skin lets the marinade reach the meat, not just the surface.

20 min

Make the spiced marinade

Mix the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin, carom seeds and mustard oil into a thick paste.

Second marinade

Coat the chicken thoroughly with the spiced yoghurt marinade, cover, and refrigerate.

Overnight in the fridge gives the most authentic tandoori flavour and colour.

240 min

Roast the chicken

Roast the marinated chicken on a rack in a very hot oven or over a hot grill, turning occasionally, until charred at the edges and cooked through.

The chicken is done when a skewer inserted into the thickest part releases clear juices, not pink.

30 min

Rest and finish

Let the chicken rest for a few minutes, then place it briefly over an open flame or under a hot broiler for extra char if you like.

3 min

Serve

Serve the tandoori chicken hot with lemon wedges and onion rings.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

Method

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