It’s time to break the monotony of the series if Lenten dishes I’ve been posting. For the record: I fast for the first week of Lent, revert back to my regular diet of meat, seafood, vegetables (all in moderation) and I’ll revert back to the Greek-Orthodox fast for Holy Week (preceding Easter on April 4th). I’ve made a shift in my diet towards more vegetables, legumes and fish and seafood.
Tandoori chicken. The first time I had this dish of dishes was at an Indian restaurant that actually had a Tandoor on the premise. A Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven that’s used to cooking and baking. Other countries in Asia also use the tandoor in their cooking but the Indian use of it is best known. 
My memories of that first time are as such: skewers of marinated chicken placed vertically into the tandoor and cooked to perfection. The brilliant red of the meat excites you when the plate is brought to your table, a bite into the chicken tells you this chicken is succulent, delicious and you can see the smoke ring from the paprika that’s penetrated the surface of the meat. The aroma matches the exotic taste, spiced with ginger, coriander, garlic, paprika, cumin and a Garam Masala mixture. A “who’s who” of spice blends.
As many would expect with Indian cuisine, there’s some heat in this dish and you may certainly tailor the intensity according to your tastes or what you think your guests can handle. Garam Masala is an Indian spice mixture that can also vary from region to region. Toronto has a large south-east Asian community and finding Garam Masala in the supermarket is as easy as finding the “international foods” aisle.
Many of you may not find Garam Masala in your part of the world. You may exhale, relax and be comforted in knowing that you can make your own Garam Masala mixture. The most common blend includes black peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom and dried ginger.
Many of the above ingredients also appear as individual additions to my recipe but the combination of ground spices and the toasted spices that are then ground to make a Garam Masala mixture is what makes the dish special through the subtleties and attention to spice blends in Indian cuisine.
Beyond amassing the spices for this dish, the recipe is rather easy. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and taste-test before adding the chicken pieces. Cover with plastic cling-wrap and marinate overnight. If using wooden skewers, it’s also a good idea to soak them in water overnight to limit/prevent burning when they hit the grill.
My final word on this marinade is the yogurt. The yogurt in this marinade blend made the pieces of chicken moist, super-tender. Don’t omit this ingredient. You’ll be rewarded with some of the tastiest, most tender morsels of chicken you’ve ever had. I used boneless leg and thigh meat but I have every reason to believe that you’ll get the same stellar results with chicken breast meat.
I served this yesterday with some baked Basmati rice: one cup of rinsed Basmati rice, 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock and a good dab of butter and into the oven for 35-40 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Immediately fluff with a fork and keep warm. Serve with your grilled Tandoori chicken, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and some fresh naan or pita bread.
Tandoori Chicken
1 kg. of chicken (leg, high or breast), cubed
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 tsp. of Garam Masala (you may make your own spice blend)
juice of half lemon or lime
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, passed through your box grater
1 heaping Tbsp. of sweet paprika
1 Tbsp. of fresh ground ginger
1 tsp. of ground cumin
1 tsp. of ground coriander seeds
pinch of red chilli powder or Cayenne
1 1/2 tsp. of salt
- In a large bowl, mix all your marinade ingredients except for the chicken pieces and salt. Have a taste and gradually add the salt until you’re satisfied with the seasoning. Now add your chicken and toss well to coat. Cover with cling-wrap and place in your fridge for up to one day.
- The next day, take your chicken out of the fridge when you’re ready to grill and allow the meat to return to room temperature. Skewer the pieces of chicken on your soaked wooden sticks. Pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill. Brush off any excess residue from your previous grilling session and set your grill for a medium-high heat.
- When your grill is heated, wipe the grill surface with a paper towel treated with vegetable oil. Now grill your Tandoori chicken skewers for about 4-5 minutes a side. Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice and serve with Basmati rice and some fresh naan or pita bread.
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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis
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30 Responses
More and more and more spice for me, please ;) Here in the Philippines Catholics fast and abstain only every Friday, and Ash Wednesday. It’s actually pretty lenient compared to you :)
I always make them in the oven and i think it is far better to do like you have done.
And i did tell you in twitter to parcel me few of the delcious morsels .
Still waiting for the parcel with these :-)
if i could have some of these now, i would
I love the marinade you are making there. So many of my favourite spices. Looks great!
I am disgustingly salivating over the keyboard now! I love tandoori chicken and the yogurt will make the meat succulent and tender. Yum Yum yumm.
And cooked on the barcue no less Peter!!!!!!
Yum. Yogurt does wonderful things to chicken!
Looks so good… can’t wait until we can start using our grill again. We’ve got a high here today of 33F, so things are looking up!
Î Ïοσπαθλώ να βÏω το σκεÏος Peter για να το αγοÏάσω, αλλά δεν ξεÏω καν αν υπάÏχει στην Ελλάδα.
ΣοÏÏ€ÎµÏ Ï„Î¿ Îκανες το κοτοπουλάκι και η μαÏινάδα σου σπÎσιαλ!
Φιλιά!
I don’t strict fast during lent. In fact, I only omit meat on Wed and Fridays, as you’re supposed to do all year round… So it’s ok. We’re both in the nuaghty boat :)
I first had tandoori chicken in culinary school, and since it was my first experience with Indian food, I was shocked at how much I liked it. (My mother brainwashed us into liking only the foods she liked)
I am reminded of how much I loved it now… And and sorely disappointed in my boring, plain salad for lunch :(
I make Chicken Tikka which is similar to the way you have prepared, very often using the stove top grill pan. During summers, I stick to charcoal grilling, nothing compares to its taste.
Mmmhhh, so flavorful!
cheers,
Rosa
Warm and smokey!
CLAPPING OUT LOUD FOR THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUM !!
STANDING OVATION……..
I love garam masala! Your tandoori chicken looks and sounds amazing!
I absolutely love Tandoori Chicken but have yet to make it at home. And it has been so long since I have been to an Indian restaurant. Oh, you’ve got my stomach growling now!!
These chicken tandoori look yummie, love the color and the flavor of it :-)
Delicious looking tandoori chicken Peter! Can never say no to a few skewers!
Interestingly, the last time I had Indian food was in Toronto. I used to eat it with some regularity when I iived in NY but here in FL…not so much. But I guess I could do like you and make it at home one day.
Oooh yum! I love tandoori chicken and yours looks double yum :)
Since the last time we had a bad experience at our favorite Indian place we haven’t gone back there and haven’t found another good Indian restaurant nearby, so we’ve been definitely missing some of our favorites including Tandoori chicken. I think it’s time for me to make it at home – thanks for sharing a great recipe! The marinade here sounds just excellent!
The little charred edges make it look so appetising! Last time I made tandoori chicken it was too cold and wet to cook outdoors, so I suspended my skewers (I have long metal ones) over a roasting tin lined in foil and put it in a very hot oven. It didn’t have quite the cooked over charcoal flavour, but it was a good substitute! I always cheat and use bought tandoori paste, but now I think I should try yours!
the spices, the char, the yogurt, the skewers–these things combine to make something absolutely irresistible to me. hooray for chicken. :)
So tasty looking & bonus points for winter grilling!
Great way to break the lenten posts, Peter. This chicken looks great. Perfectly grilled with those nice crispy spots I love so much!
That looks delicious Peter! I love garam masala and luckily I live in a country where they do sell the mixture although as you said you can easily make it yourself, but sometimes it is good to know you can just buy it if you want to.. :) Love the look of the chicken.
Gorgeous tandoori! And cooking it on the grill is a fantastic idea, it makes it come out so much crispier and probably makes the flavors more intense than boring old oven baking (which some of us are obliged to do). Wonderful recipe and mouthwatering Tandori brochettes!
Seeing tandoori chicken makes me go weak on my knees;-) nice post Peter.
Basmati rice, tandoori chicken, a salad and lemon = Bliss + satisfaction
I have a clay pot that I sometimes will use to cook yogurt-marinated chicken. I like to call it Tandoori. ;-) I don’t always use Indian spice though. In fact, one time I did something more akin to something Greek. With the clay pot and yogurt marinade mixed with bay and lemon (and I don’t remember exactly what else) I had an interesting mesh of cultures.
You are really making my mouth water. I love tandoori chicken!