Basics, chicken, Classic meals
February 13th, 2013
the king of kebabs – tandoori chicken!!
Here is my version of the ‘king of kebabs’, AKA tandoori chicken, which you can make at home even if you do not have a tandoor. Last year I wrote about my memory of this wonderful dish which reminds me so much of my father. If you’re keen for the story, click here. If you’re simply keen for the recipe, scroll down!
Ingredients:
Preparing the chicken for the first marinade:
Ingredients
First Marinade
1. 2 tablespoons white vinegar
2. 1 teaspoon cooking salt
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons kashmiri chilli, ground
ingredients for first marinade: white vinegar, kashmiri chilli [ground] & salt
Method:
1. Skin the chicken, remove any excess fat but leave some as it helps keep the bird moist. Prepare the chicken for the first marinade.
chicken ready for the First Marinade
mix well
add salt
add ground kashmiri chillies in oil
mix well & check for seasoning
add nilgiri’s garam masala & fold
the Second Marinade/Tandoori Masala is ready
7. Remove the chicken from the fridge, place a skewer through the chicken. place the chicken in an earthenware, or clay, pot and place this in a pre-heated oven, temp. 160C.
run a skewer through the chicken & place on an earthenware pot or roasting tray with your choice of spices to give a ‘smoked’ flavour!
10. Serve the ‘king of kebabs’ with a mint and coriander chatni, sliced onions and a lemon wedge.
tandoori chicken, with onion rings, lemon wedge & mint & coriander chatni
Accompaniments:
Mint and Coriander Chatni
Ingredients:
1. 1 bunch fresh mint, roots removed and some of the thick stems taken off, washed
2. 1 big bunch fresh coriander, roots taken off, stem removed, washed
3. 4-5 small green chillies
4. 1 tablespoon pomegranate extract
5. salt, to taste
6. 1 red onion
7. lemon wedge
1. Grind all the ingredients, except for the red onion and lemon wedge, to a fine paste. Add salt, as required.
grind all the chatni ingredients (apart from the red onion and lemon wedge) to a fine paste. add salt
2. Refrigerate and serve with the hot chicken alongside the sliced red onion and lemon wedge.
mint chatni, ready for the chicken, refrigerate until required
the perfect accompaniment to the “king of kebabs”!!
A few things to remember:
1. Buy the chicken with the skin on as this keeps the meat moist, even if you are not marinating it the same day.
2. Remember to prepare the chicken for the second marinade by applying the first marinade. Do not add the first marinade to the second and apply it on to the bird altogether. This won’t save you time, also, the marinade will not stick to the chicken.
3. To get the red colour, soak the chillies in lukewarm water till they swell (balloon), then squeeze the chillies and crush in a food processor with some vegetable oil.
4. Cook the chicken at a temperature of 160- 170 C as this keeps the meat moist and allows the chicken to cook from the ‘inside – out’.
5. To caramelise the chicken, flash under a hot grill or do as I do here!
6. Add your choice of whole spices to the earthenware pot before placing the chicken in it. As the oven heats up, so do the spices and the smoked flavour permeates into the meat.
Anah Daata Sukhi Bhava!!!