Tandoori chicken with bhurani raita recipe
Marinated with yogurt and spices, this tandoori chicken recipe is a winner. We think the fenugreek and mango powder give it that magic touch. It's served with a cooling yogurt and garlic raita.
Tip: to make your own Kashmiri chilli oil, simply infuse two broken Kashmiri chillies in a bottle with 250ml/8.5floz olive oil or rapeseed oil for two weeks. For a faster infusion, heat the oil, add the chillies and gently warm for 15 minutes, then infuse for a further 15 minutes and strain.
Recipe is from Gunpowder: Explosive Flavours from Modern India by Harneet Baweja, Devina Seth and Nirmal Save (Kyle Books, £25).
Ingredients
For the tandoori chicken- 0.5 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli oil (see tip)
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tbsp mango powder
- 0.5 tsp garam masala
- 0.5 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1.4 kg whole organic chicken or 4 chicken legs
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp mustard or rapeseed oil
- 0.5 tsp black salt
- 0.2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
- 400 g Greek yogurt
Details
- Cuisine: Indian
- Recipe Type: Chicken
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 50 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
To make the bhurani raita
- Combine the yogurt, black salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and whisk well.
- Set a small pan over a medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and fry until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Once the fried garlic is cooled, set a little aside for garnish, then add the rest to the yogurt mixture, along with the oil you fried it in. Mix well and serve garnished with the reserved garlic and the coriander.
To make the tandoori chicken
- If you’re using a whole chicken, remove the giblets (if it has them). Using a large, sharp knife, cut down through the breastbone of the chicken, prise the bird open and cut down through the backbone so that the chicken is in two identical halves – each with a breast, leg and wing. Alternatively, you can just use four chicken legs.
- Pull the skin off the chicken and, using a knife again, score the fatter parts of the chicken legs and breast as this will help them cook faster and absorb all the flavours from the marinade.
- In a bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger and chilli with the lime juice and mustard or rapeseed oil. Use your hands to rub this all over the chicken, then set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients to form a paste, then rub this all over the chicken, too. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes (or you can leave it in the fridge overnight).
- Prepare a charcoal barbecue or preheat your oven to 220°C/430°F/gas mark 7. If using a barbecue, thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and turn regularly to cook all sides evenly. This should take about 15–20 minutes. Alternatively, arrange the chicken on a grill pan and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes or until nicely charred all over and cooked all the way through. You can test by piercing the fattest part of the chicken and seeing if the juices run clear – if not, cook a little longer. Rest for 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with bhurani raita and salad.
This recipe is from Gunpowder: Explosive Flavours from Modern India by Harneet Baweja, Devina Seth and Nirmal Save. Published by Kyle Books. Photography by Pete Cassidy.
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