Tandoori Chicken

The world's favorite Tandoori Chicken is an exotic Indian appetizer that has its roots from the Mughal cuisine. These are succulent chunks of chicken, marinated in yogurt and Indian spices. These are grilled in special Indian Tandoors or grills and hence the name. Tandoori chicken has its characteristic red color because of the addition of red chilies or the red color dye. I am not a big fan of artificial food colors and haven't added it in my recipe here.

Tandoori Murg or Tandoori Chicken is quick and easy to cook and the marinade does all the work. The meat of the chicken is slashed to the bone so that the marinade can easily penetrate and infuse the flavors in all places. Tender, moist and juicy, it is an absolute favorite. You needn't have a tandoor or oven to prepare this delicacy. I am sharing my foolproof recipe of making Tandoori Chicken on a stove top without using food color or food dye. You can use chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs or wings for preparing Tandoori Chicken. You'll get Tandoori chicken pieces from the butcher shop as well. 

Tandoori chicken is available across India. By evening, you can see charred and red chicken pieces in skewers hanging in almost all the streetside restaurants. These are hot but not too spicy, even the kids can enjoy them. The marinade is flavorful and the addition of yogurt makes the kebabs juicy and succulent. Tandoori Masala is available in stores, but I have prepared the Tandoori chicken from scratch. All the spices needed for its preparation is available in our everyday cooking and there is nothing so strenuous about it.

How to make Tandoori Chicken at Home

There are two steps in marinating chicken pieces for preparing Tandoori Chicken. But first, slash the meat and marinate with turmeric powder and lemon juice for about fifteen minutes. The main marinade comes after. It includes yogurt, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, and oil. This is left in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight for better results. Shallow fry in a grill pan in butter and/or oil. You can cook until you get a light char on the pieces. Also, burn a small piece of charcoal and place it in the middle of the pan beside the cooked chicken. Cover with a lid and leave for about five minutes. This will give a smoky flavor to the dish.

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