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Authentic tandoori chicken

Authentic tandoori chicken

Authentic tandoori chicken
Authentic tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken is my favorite Indian food. Tandoori Chicken is named after the cylindrical clay oven in which the dish is traditionally prepared, called a tandoor, which commonly gets up to almost 500-degree F in temperature. Western chefs have had to modify the cooking method, either grilling or roasting the chicken. This recipe roasts the chicken in the oven and achieves fabulous results.

The secret to making juicy, tender and bursting Tandoori chicken are Greek yogurt and Garam Masala. The yogurt makes the chicken tender and moist while the Garam Masala gives the iconic aroma and flavors. Bake the marinated chicken in the oven at high heat (400 degrees F). The heat will seal in juice inside the chicken.

The long list of spices garlic, onion, ginger, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper and juiced lemon in our tandoori chicken marinade, don’t feel intimidated! They are simply spices, no more difficult to utilize than any other common spice on your spice rack. The more Indian food you cook, the more familiar these will become to you.

The original Tandoori Chicken is usually quite spicy. Kashmiri chile powder is used to give it heat as well as give it it’s reddish hue. In my version, I used food coloring to create color, although paprika and turmeric create nice coloring as well.

  • 2 pounds chicken legs no skin (8 legs)
  • 2 cups greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring
  • 1 lemon juiced

Clean the chicken

Add the rest of the ingredients to the chicken and mix well (I use a zipper bag and just sort of squish it all around).

Let marinade in the refrigerator for at LEAST 8 hours, preferably 24 hours.

Remove the majority of the marinade before cooking the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.

Authentic tandoori chicken
Authentic tandoori chicken

Serve warm

Note:

  • If you don’t have an oven, preheat grill to get a surface temp of about 450. For a charcoal grill, ignite a chimney starter full of lump charcoal and burn until the edges of the coals look ashy, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil. Let rest at room temperature until grill is ready.
  • Place chicken legs on the grill. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up over the cooler part of the grill.  You will want the meaty end towards your heat source to cook them through. Close the lid and smoke the chicken for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken every 10 -15 mins
  • Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill, and grill, uncovered, turning and moving the chicken regularly to manage flare-ups, until lightly charred on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
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Fried chicken drumsticks

Fried chicken drumsticks (orange brine)

10 chicken drumsticks

1 liter water plus ice

1 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

1.5 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger

1 tablespoons black pepper

1 bay leaves

The zest of 1 orange

The juice of 1 orange

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Stir until the sugar & salt dissolve. 

Add the chicken and Refrigerate for 16-24 hours.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken, one piece at a time, in the oil. The oil should cover the chicken pieces almost completely and it will bubble gently as the chicken cooks. 

Continue to fry the chicken until the skin is golden brown. The exact amount of time you’ll need depends on the temperature of the oil, but the aunties left their chicken in for about 15-20 minutes (a long time!) with the oil over lower heat. 

Remove from the oil and set on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat in small batches until all the chicken is fried.

Curly Fries

2 large potatoes

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Kosher salt

For the potatoes: Spiralize the potatoes into fries and soak in water in a container for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Drain the fries and pat dry,

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to 365 degrees F.

Cook the fries in batches until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

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No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon salt

8 pieces chicken thigh

Wash and thoroughly dry chicken pieces and place in single layer in pan

Mix all the dry ingredients

Sprinkle flour over chicken in pan. Toss chicken to coat well in flour.

Heat up the oil in a cast iron pan and place chicken pieces, skin side down in hot oil.

Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until skin is pale golden brown. Turn chicken over and cook for 10 minutes on second side. Turn chicken pieces once more, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to paper towel lined plate and allow to drain for about 5 minutes.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds (1 kilo) white potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 400°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray.

Arrange the potatoes on the sheet in one layer, and add the oil and salt. Toss until the potatoes are well coated and seasoned.

Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, while flipping occasionally, until crisp and golden.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and season with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with parsley and serve immediately