TANDOORI CHICKEN
Ingredients:
2 lbs of chicken pieces, skinless
lemon wedges for garnish
oil (vegetable or canola)
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For the Tandoori Marinade:
5-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced (about 1½ inches in length)
3 cups of plain yogurt
2 small green chilies, finely minced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp tandoori paste OR 4 tbsp tandoori masala powder (given below)
salt and pepper to taste
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Tandoori Masala (Powder)
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
2 tsp ground dried fenugreek leaves (methi powder)
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp red chili powder
METHOD:
Combine all of the ingredients above and store in an airtight container for 4-6 weeks.
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To make the Tandoori Chicken:
Whisk together the marinade ingredients until smooth and add the chicken pieces. Mix well to coat the chicken pieces evenly, a plastic zip bag works well (and no messy clean up) and refrigerate. I highly recommend marinating the chicken overnight, the longer the better. I have marinated my tandoori chicken for up to 2 days and it is crazy delicious! But if time is an issue, than at least 5-6 hours of marinating will work in a pinch.
Remove the chicken pieces and remove any excess marinade before cooking, discard the marinade. This recipe works best on a grill but can also be done in the oven. If you are grilling the chicken on a grill or barbeque, grill on medium high until fully cooked. The chicken should be browned on the outside but deliciously tender on the inside.
If you are using an oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a foil lined baking sheet (sprayed lightly with cooking spray), place your chicken pieces in a single even layer and drizzle very lightly with oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turn the pieces over and cook for another 10 minutes. Check to make sure the chicken is fully cooked through; it should be evenly browned on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and garnish with extra lemon wedges. This can be served with a cool and refreshing yogurt dip (yogurt with either finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves or finely chopped fresh mint leaves).
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