Authentic Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Punjab, India
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Named after the clay oven in which it’s baked, tandoori chicken is one of the best-known dishes of Indian cuisine, that, because it’s hard to imitate without using a tandoor oven, is typically an eat-out dish. The preparation starts by removing the skin, then halving or quartering the chicken which is then marinated twice. The first marinade is made up of salt and an acid component, typically lime juice whereas the second one is yogurt-based. Garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and other spices are added to the second marinade, although the acid-based marinade can also include some, most commonly red chili powder. Once marinated for a few hours, the chicken is skewered and baked in the traditional clay oven tandoor for no more than 15 minutes. The finished chicken is characterized by an orangey-yellow hue — not red, which is often achieved by adding red food color to the marinade — and a crispy, charcoaled exterior ... Read more
Cooking tips
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chicken
The chicken is cut up into halves or quarters before it’s marinated and skewered. However, you can also butterfly it in which case it’s advised to use smaller sized chicken so that the drumstick and the breast meat can be done at the same time. One thing to remember is that you should always to take the skin off. -
marinades
To help the marinades penetrate the meat more easily, you need to increase the total surface of the meat which is done by making a few incision in the breasts and the drumsticks. And although wrongly believed to be true, the length of marination is not crucial. If you overdo it with marination, you will ruin the meat because it will "cook" even before you put it in the oven and you will end up with ... Read more -
spices
As with many dishes of Indian cuisine, tandoori chicken is also heavily spiced. The spices are added to the marinades that are rubbed into the meat. Garam masala, Kashmiri red chili powder, garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and turmeric are traditionally used, but in recipes, you will also come across dried fenugreek leaves, coriander, or chaat masala. -
method
Although traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, most recipes today can be prepared using a regular oven or a grill. -
serving
Tandoori chicken, eaten either as an appetizer or a main dish, is served with sliced onions, wedges of lemon or lime, and Indian flatbread naan. Instead of naan, you can serve it also with rice.
Tandoori Chicken
PREP 20min
COOK 45min
READY IN 1h 5min
Adapted from Monish Gujral’s official website, this is the recipe for the original Moti Mahal’s tandoori chicken as invented by Sh. Kundan Lal Gujral. The chicken is roasted without its skin and the marinades that are applied to the chicken prevent the meat from drying out when cooked. A lengthy time of marinating, as well as the acid from the lime juice, cut down on cooking time considerably. Originally cooked in a tandoor, the meat takes only approximately ten minutes of baking in order to achieve the charcoaled exterior and the succulent, juicy meat on the inside.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, without skin, approx. 1600-1700 grams
FIRST MARINADE
1 ½ tbsp lime juice
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
SECOND MARINADE
½ cup yoghurt (dahi)
1 tbsp garlic (lasan) paste
1 tbsp ginger (adrak) paste
½ tsp black salt (kala namak)
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves
refined oil for basting
Preparation
With a knife make two incisions, to the bone, on the breast, and drumsticks.
Prepare the first marinade by combining all of the ingredients and rub it into the chicken, then leave to marinate for an hour. Next, comes the second marinade. Combine the ingredients and rub it into the chicken, then leave it to marinate for the next three hours.
Use a skewer to fix the chicken and then roast it at 180°C in a preheated oven, grill, or a tandoor, if you have one. Roast the chicken in the oven for 45 minutes — if roasting in a tandoor oven, it will take about 10 minutes for the meat to be done. After 5 minutes, baste the chicken with refined oil. When done, remove the skewer and joint the chicken.
Serve the chicken with onion rings and lime wedges.
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