Tandoori Murgh

Well, It makes me wonder sometimes, .. Into how many types can Chicken be cooked and had… ?!?! I always thank my God for making chicken, and sending it on earth, so that we can eat it, and douse our raging hunger for it 😀 Dont you all agree?

Tandoori Chicken is a traditional Indian dish, where, as the title of the dish says, the chicken is marinated in a paste made of yogurt and other dry spices and some edible food colour. It is left to marinate for minimum 6-8 hours, or the best, overnight, in the refrigerator. During Ramadhan, you can marinate the chicken pieces a day ahead, and just before the iftaar time, you will have to grill them up, and keep them warm in an oven.

Tandoori Murgh – Chicken Marinated in a mixture of Yogurt seasoned with Spices

My hubby, who I think loves chicken more than anything else in this whole world requested me to prepare Tandoori Chicken the last week. Traditionally the Tandoori chicken is made in a Tandoor, needs some pre-planning. So a night before I had prepared the marinade and left the chicken to marinate in the mixture overnight. This helps to infuse the flavours into the chicken, and the chicken tenderizes on its own, making it easier to cook chicken fully and fast. But people with time and the facilities available to them, have changed the procedure to prepare this dish into simpler.. and more simpler forms.

I prepared Tandoori Chicken in my Conventional Oven. You can also prepare it in a Charcoal BBQ Grill, and I tell you it will be more delicious. Just marinate and send your hubby outside, this being summer..

The edible red colour and the other spices that i am using in this recipe can be bought from any Asian or Indian stores selling spices.

David had requested me to give him a recipe of Tandoori Chicken and here’s my post, Hope you enjoy the Tandoori Chicken David.

Tandoori Murgh – Chicken Marinated in a mixture of Yogurt seasoned with Spices

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1, skin removed, cut into big 8 pieces (approx)
Lemon juice – 6 tbsp
Salt – 3 tsp
Yellow Onion – 1, large, roughly chopped
Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tsp
Saffron threads – 1 big pinch
Milk – 1 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Yogurt – 1 cup
Red Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Garam masala – 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
Edible Red colour – 1/4 tsp
Butter – for basting the chicken

Method:

-Wash and pat dry the chicken with paper towels, then make incisions on the chicken pieces at the thick parts.
-Soak Chicken in lemon juice and salt for 2 hours. This is the first marination.
-Meanwhile prepare the second marination mixture.
-Put the yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it till all the water from the yogurt has drained out, preferably for two hours, till the chicken has marinated in the first marination mixture.
-Grind the roughly chopped onion into a smooth paste and keep aside.
-Warm the milk and add the saffron threads to it. Let them steep into the milk for again two hours, till the chicken has marinated in the first marination mixture.
-Now, in a bowl, mix the processed onion paste, the hung yogurt, saffron threads with milk, and all the other ingredients except the last one, with the chicken in salt and lemon juice.
-Rub the mixture well with the chicken. Cover and put the bowl in the refrigerator for 8 hours or preferably overnight, for a great taste.
-Remove the chicken from the marinate. Preheat the charcoal grill and grill the chicken pieces, turning and basting them with butter as needed. Grill and cook chicken for 25 minutes till done and but still tender. If you do not have or do not want to grill it outside you can grill it in your conventional oven at medium heat again turning and basting them with the butter as needed.
-You can also bake it in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes at 400 °F turning them once after 15 minutes and basting them with butter.
-Pierce the chicken with fork to check if it is done.

Note: The tempetarures and time used to cook chicken depends entirely on the size of the chicken pieces and the type of oven used. So, it varies. Keep a check on the chicken and make sure you not burn it or do not under cook it.

Luv,
Mona