Monday, September 22, 2008

Tandoori Chicken


But is it really
? Of course not! I don't own a tandoor - the clay oven in which the chicken should be cooked - and I don't use the copious quantities of cayenne and chili powder that produce the flaming hue of the real deal. Though most folks think the dish to be Indian, it actually was brought to India from Afghanistan. Whatever it's origins, this is a family friendly recipe that captures the spirit of the tandoor, rather than it's fire. A bit of a warning - while I think you'll enjoy this remarkably tender chicken, the masala spicing may not appeal to youngest of your children, and, while the chicken takes minutes to prepare, it needs time to marinate, so plan accordingly. Garam masala is available in the spice aisle of major supermarkets.


Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:
6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided use
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
Garnish: lemon slices; parsley

Directions:
1) Brush both sides of chicken with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2) Combine onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a blender jar. Process on high speed until a paste forms. Add paprika, garam masala, salt, cayenne pepper and yogurt: process until mixture is smooth.
3) Liberally spread both sides of chicken with yogurt mixture. Place in a baking dish; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
4) Move a rack to upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray an ovenproof cooling rack with nonstick spray; place rack in pan. Place chicken on rack and bake for 25 minutes. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

8 comments :

Anonymous said...

You have the most delicious looking recipes. I don't think I can get Garam Masala here. I live in a little Podunk town. Sure would like to try it though.

Mary Bergfeld said...

If you're tempted to try the chicken Penzy's carries garam masala -means hot spice. I live in a very small, but gorgeous city in the PNW. I hound supermarket managers till they put this things like this on the shelf.

Mari @ Once Upon a Plate said...

It's so nice to meet up with you again, Mary.

I'm enjoying following along on your beautiful blog.
So many tempting recipes to try.

I adore Tandoori Chicken; thank you for sharing this one so we can closely duplicate the flavors at home. ~Mary

P.S. I've been enjoying Jaden's Steamy Kitchen blog for a while as well~ (delightful sense of humor, inspiring food, and she offers terrific photo tips as well.) I'm off to check out the others you recommended.

Maria said...

Wow, looks like this dish turned out great! YUM!

Deborah said...

Oooh, I bet that packs a ton of flavor!~ I love the color of it, it sounds delicious!

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious! What a pretty color.

Tastes of Home said...

Hi there Mary, I love tandoori chicken and yours look really good - tender and moist!

I really must try this out, thanks for sharing

free online adventure games said...

This is one of my favourite dishes because of all the flavours involved and also because it's a relatively healthy dish (compared to deed fried chicken). Thanks for sharing this. This might actually be great for a twist in a Thanksgiving dinner.

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