Tandoori Chicken -- without the Tandoor!

---

Almost everyone has heard of Tandoori Chicken, much like Butter Chicken which is a staple of Indian cuisine Tandoori Chicken is very popular all over the world. Practically every Indian restaurant will offer it. A very simple basic meal would be Tandoori Chicken with Dhal and Rice.

The challenge with making Tandoori Chicken at home of course is that most of us don't have a Tandoor lying around at home. Here's what a real tandoor looks like, its a kind of like a pizza oven, the sides serve to make tandoori breads like Naan or Roti and the middle serves as a high heat grill which cooks the meat via radiant heat, instantly searing it and making the outside crisp and the insides moist. Traveling through northern states of India like Punjab and Haryana, you will see the roadside restaurants inevitably have one of these tucked away in the back or sometimes the more touristy ones up front so you can watch the food being made.

This is what a real-life Tandoor looks like:

Tandoori Chicken I make at home does not use a Tandoor, I used to use the grill but it was kind of messy and so one winter I tried it indoors in the oven using the roast setting and then broiling at the end and it came out really well, almost like the the real thing:

Ingredients

4 Chicken Legs with thighs and drumsticks

1 tsp Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Sweet Paprika

1 tsp salt

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp ginger minced

3 tbsp vegetable oil

A few drops Red Food Color

This dish requires the chicken to marinate for at least an hour so be mindful of that and allow enough time for that. I usually start this dish first while cooking dinner so I can leave the chicken to marinate while making the rest of the meal. You may also prepare it a day ahead or that morning and put the mix in the fridge and cook in the evening.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (use the convection roast setting if available).

Prepare the chicken by removing the skin, if you purchased 4 full legs, slice the legs into two halves by using a sharp knife and cutting exactly at the joint, with luck and some practice you will slice right through the cartilage and separate the thigh and drumstick. If you are unsure of this you can also just buy 4 thigh pieces and 4 drumstick pieces. Removing the skin is easy, just use a paper towel and tug at the skin and it will come off easy. Pat the pieces dry and set aside.

In a saucepan heat the 3 tbsps of oil until just warm, and quickly saute JUST the dry spices. Make sure the heat is medium or the spices will burn and add a burnt taste. Scrape the spice mix into a bowl to stop it cooking and let it cool down.

In a large bowl add the lemon juice, yogurt, garlic, ginger and food color and mix in the spices, the mix should be a somewhat dull red color. Now drop the chicken pieces into the mix, coat the pieces thoroughly and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for an hour. If you will be preparing this well ahead of cooking, put it in a large ziploc bag, seal and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

Remove each marinated piece, shake it loose of any marinade and place it in a baking sheet/tray lined with foil. Spread the pieces apart so they dont touch each other. Place the tray in the oven and let it cook for about 30 minutes. Check to see how it is cooking, about 10 minutes before it is ready, you will see the chicken meat start to separate from the bone on the drumsticks and some of the tips may start getting a little charred. At about 40 minutes turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken to make sure it does not burn -- broilers can crisp the chicken too fast, essentially burning it, take the chicken out no later than 45 minutes (some ovens may be done in 35 to 40 minutes). If you are not sure, pick up a piece with a pair of tongs and slice into the meat portion, it should be well cooked but not dry i.e. a little moist but not shiny/translucent.

Its important not to keep opening the oven to check every few minutes as the temperature will drop and the chicken may not cook through. Don't overcook it either as it will become very dry and chewy and lose some of its flavor, so its important to take it out right on time.

Immediately transfer the pieces into a bowl so they stop cooking, sprinkle some coriander leaves on top and serve with warm Naan, Chapaties or Roti and some Dhal.