Tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients

1.5 kilo chicken drumsticks ( skin removed) 

Juice of half a lemon

1 tea spoon salt

2 tablespoons melted ghee

Tandoori masala paste

1 tablespoon grated ginger 

1 tablespoon grated garlic

2 cm piece of cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon of red chilli powder

1 tablespoon of ground paprika

200 ml natural yoghurt

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Chat masala ( can be bought at all Indian grocery stores) and juice of half a lemon to garnish.

To make the tandoori masala, roast all the whole spices over low heat and grind in a spice grinder. Add chilli powder and paprika and set aside. This masala powder along with the grated ginger, garlic and yoghurt makes the tandoori paste and can be used for many tandoori preparations including fish and paneer.

To prepare the chicken, remove skin if it is not already skinned, slash the chicken with a sharp knife and add the lemon juice and salt. Massage well into the cuts. Add the tandoori masala, ginger, garlic and yoghurt. Mix well, cover with cling wrap and marinate overnight or at least for 2 hours.

To cook the chicken, use a large roasting tray with a trivet/ rack which allows the fat to drip down. Drizzle with the melted ghee and cook in a 200c pre heated fan forced  oven for 25- 30 minutes.  Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Then change the setting to grill and cook at the highest temperature for 3-5 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Sprinkle chat masala and lemon juice and serve with the mint dip and finely sliced onions.

Whole chicken, chick thigh fillets can also be used