Do you need a dish that can be made in a small amount of time but also fills up the dinner growl from your stomach? One of the most loved Chicken snacks for children and adults alike, Tandoori Chicken, is named from the bell-shaped tandoor clay oven, which is also used to create naan.
Skinless legs and thighs are marinated in a soft mixture of Yogurt, lemon juice, and spices, then cut to the bone in multiple places to help the marinade permeate and the Chicken cook faster. Either spicy pepper or red food colouring gives the Chicken its distinctive red colour. We’re not big on food dyes, so we didn’t use any, but if you want your Chicken to be bright red, add a few drops of red food colour to the Marinade.
Bone-in thighs and legs are essential for Tandoori Chicken because they have enough fat to stay juicy under the grill’s heat. This meal isn’t recommended to be made with chicken breasts because they’ll dry out too quickly. The meat should be de-skinned. If you have other skins, soak them in the Marinade and simmer them until crispy. It’s far superior to bacon.
Ingredients Required
The ingredients required for preparing Tandoori Chicken are readily available, and the recipe is easy to understand. The ingredients are as follows:
- Three tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
- One teaspoon of Ground Coriander
- One teaspoon of Ground Cumin
- One teaspoon of Ground Turmeric
- One teaspoon of Cayenne
- One tablespoon of Garam Masala
- One tablespoon of Sweet Paprika
- One cup Plain Yogurt (Can use Buttermilk)
- Two tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- Four Garlic Cloves, minced
- Two Tablespoons Minced Fresh Ginger
- One teaspoon salt
- Four whole Chicken Leg Quarters
These are the ingredients that would be used in the following recipe. It is advised to follow the recipe step by step and enjoy the deliciousness afterwards.
Step by Step Recipe
We need to prepare the ingredients and with it the Marinade. A marinade is a sauce made out of Oil, vinegar, spices, and herbs poured over meat or fish before it is cooked to add flavour and soften it. The steps we will be using to make the dish are extremely easy to understand. You can find the steps below:
1. Take a non-stick pan and put it on the medium flame. Pour the Oil you have prepared beforehand and let it heat until it simmers.
2. As soon as you see the Oil simmering, add Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric, Cayenne, Garam Masala, and Paprika. Keep stirring the mix until the masalas are cooked thoroughly, and fragrances waft in the air. This process would approximately take two to three minutes. Let the whole mixture cool completely after this and wait.
3. Whip the cooled spices into the Yogurt nicely and add Lemon Juice, Garlic, Salt, and Ginger.
4. The next step is significant as it would determine whether the Chicken cooks from the inside as well or not. It is not required to make deep cuts into the Chicken in three to four places on the leg or thigh. We need to coat the whole Chicken in the Marinade.
5. Cover the whole dish and wait for an hour or so. If you can wait 6 hours, it would dramatically increase the absorption of the Marinade but not more than 8 hours.
6. The next step is grilling, and you need to prepare the grill so that one side is quite hot over direct heat, the other side cooler, not over direct heat. Using a charcoal grill would work as well, as you would just have to leave one side of the grill without coal and just turn off the burners on that side.
7. The grill grates need to be wiped off with paper towels soaked in vegetable oil.
8. Remove the Chicken from the Marinade and shake off any excess marinade. The Chicken should be covered with Marinade but not gloppy.
9. Place the Chicken pieces on the hot side and cover the grill. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes before checking. Turn the chicken so that all sides are golden (even a touch burned).
10. The next step is to place the Chicken on the grill’s cool side. You need to cook for at least 20 minutes, but it can go up to 40 minutes depending on the size of the Chicken and the grill temperature. When the Chicken’s juices flow clear, it’s done.
11. Now, comes the fun part: if you want to add a Smokey taste to the dish, simply smoke the marinated Chicken with charcoal before cooking it. Place the Chicken in a small steel dish and pour one teaspoon of ghee over the hot coals. Cover the bowl immediately with a lid and set it aside to rest for 8-10 minutes. You can, however, do the charcoal smoking after the meat has been cooked.
12. Place the Chicken on the cool side of the grill. Cook for 20 minutes at a minimum, but up to 40 minutes (or longer) depending on the size of the Chicken and the temperature of the grill. It’s done when the Chicken’s fluids run clean.
Conclusion
The dish is prepared, and it looks and tastes very nice. The aroma and the softness of the crunchy Chicken are something that makes your mouth water. Tandoori Chicken is easy to make and one of the easiest dishes that can be made. It doesn’t require any expertise and is thus a good option for people who don’t cook often. It has a lot of spices and Chicken, which are a source of protein for the body. Tandoori Chicken is a deliciously Smokey Chicken appetizer that you will adore. Serve tandoori Chicken over saffron rice or Zafrani Pulao, onion rings, lemon wedges, and mint Yogurt chutney or Green Chutney on the side. Serve it as an appetizer or appetizer with chutney.