Tandoori Chicken

By stancec44

This recipe tastes as close as you can get to the flavor of original tandoori chicken — it comes from restaurateur Monish Gujral, whose grandfather, Kundan Lal, is the alleged inventor of that classic Indian dish. Gujral says cooking at the hottest temperature your oven can muster (500 or even 600 degrees) is key. Remember to use a good kitchen fan, or to keep your windows open, because there will be smoke.

It’s best to use metal skewers for this, or be sure to soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before using.

Serve with rice or naan, raita and a good-quality Indian chutney.

Kashmiri chile powder is bright-tasting and lends a beautiful color to this dish; you can find it at Indian markets.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into 11/2-inch chunks (light and dark meat)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon each paprika and cayenne pepper; see headnote)
• 6 tablespoons plain, full-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons garam masala, or more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, or more as needed
• Vegetable oil, for basting

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from portlandoregonian.or.newsmemory.com

Preparation

Step 1

Use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts in the thickest part of the chicken.

Combine the lime juice and salt in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken pieces; add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Uncover; add the chile powder, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala and fenugreek, tossing well to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Heat the oven to 500 degrees.

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers, season with a little more garam masala or fenugreek, if desired. Roast (middle rack) for 5 to 6 minutes. Baste with a little oil and continue roasting for 3 to 4 minutes.

Check if the chicken is done by cutting into one of the larger pieces. If it is still pink in the middle, roast for another 3 to 5 minutes and check again.