Tandoori Chicken

தந்தூரி சிக்கன் – Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken is a non-veg dish prepared by roasting chicken that is marinated in yogurt and spices in a tandoor, in a cylindrical clay oven (traditional method). This dish can also be cooked in a standard oven or rotisserie or over hot charcoal. Most of the people and restaurants use red food color for reaching the perfect color but I never use that. I always use homemade red chilli powder for the color. Tandoori chicken is all time favorite of my family and friends. This is a best starter option for parties.

Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken

Chicken drumsticks – 8
Lemon – 1
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs
Thick curd – 1/2 cup
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Chaat masala – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Amchoor powder – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbs
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Kasturi methi – 1 tsp
Salt as needed
Butter for greasing

Directions

First Level marination

Clean the chicken and slit the chicken all over.
Add half lemon juice and salt to the chicken.
Mix everything well and leave the chicken for 15 minutes.

Second Level marination

Take a small bowl and add ginger garlic paste and add all the spices.
Pour the curd, another half lemon juice and salt then make thick paste.
Apply the thick paste all over the chicken and marinate it for at least 6 hours or overnight
(Keep it in refrigerator).

Baking

Per-heat the oven to 350° F.
Cover a tray with aluminum foil sheet and place a wire rack over that.
Arrange the marinated chicken over the rack.
Place that tray into the preheated oven.
Bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
Heat 2 tbs of butter and pour that to the leftover marinated masala.
Brush the buttered masala over the chicken.
Flip the chicken and bake for another 20 minutes.
Again brush the buttered masala over the chicken.

Grilling

Switch the grill mode in high.
Keep the chicken for 5 minutes.
Flip the chicken one more time and grill that for 5 minutes.
Turn off the oven and take out the tandhoori chicken.

Serving

Serve the thanthoori chicken with sliced onion and sliced lemon.

Notes

Select quality chicken (organic) for this recipe.
Must bake the chicken over the wire rack otherwise you won’t get the perfect taste.
If you don’t have the wired rack, place the chicken over the oven top rack directly and cover the lower rack with aluminum foil sheet (handle everything with care).
If you don’t have the grilling option bake the chicken some more time (don’t bake crispy).