Tandoori Chicken with Green Chutney

Tandoori chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine. Chicken is marinated with yoghurt and some spices and is cooked at a very high-temperature in a Tandoor or clay oven. It is  is mostly found in menus in Indian restaurants all over the world. Here I have used Vah chef’s recipe with some modifications and the method is from Food for 7 stages of life. I used to bake tandoori chicken at around 400 – 450 F before but this method calls for baking it at 500 – 550 F. Baking at a higher temperature makes the chicken slightly crispy but juicy inside, which makes it much tastier. Green chutney is an excellent combination with tandoori chicken, you can find its recipe below. You will never have cravings for the restaurant style tandoori chicken if you taste this one. Prepare and enjoy!!

Ingredients

1. Chicken Drumsticks – 6
2. Ginger-garlic paste – 2 – 3 tsp
3. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
4. Kashmiri red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
5. Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
6. Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp
7. Kasoori methi – 1/2 tsp
8. Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
9. Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
10. Gram masala powder – 3/4 tsp
11. Curd – 3 tbsp
12. Mustard oil / vegetable oil – 1 tbsp
13. Salt – To taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients under marinade except the chicken drumsticks. Taste-check for salt. Keep aside.

2. Wash the chicken drumsticks. Do not remove their skin. Pat dry with a paper towel. Make 2 – 3 deep slits on the fleshy part of the chicken so that the marinade can penetrate inside the flesh. Rub the marinade all over the chicken drumsticks one by one. Remember to rub the marinade inside the slits.  Place in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hrs. Take it out 1 hr before baking.

3. Preheat oven to its maximum setting. The maximum temperature that I can set in my oven is 500 F so I baked them at that temperature. Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with oil. Arrange the chicken drumsticks on the foil.  Brush the chicken with oil or pour little oil on them ( this step is optional). Place the tray in the center rack of the oven. Bake it for about 12 – 15 minutes. Take out the tray carefully using your oven mitts. Turn them over and  brush/pour a little oil on the chicken pieces (this is optional). Return the tray to the oven. Bake for another 10 – 12 minutes. Broil for the last 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the chicken pieces. Take out the tray when the drumsticks are done. Brush the chicken drumsticks immediately with melted butter. (The juices that surrounds the chicken would be burnt and the skin of the chicken pieces might be stuck to the foil when you take it out.) Slowly take out the drumsticks after 2 minutes using a metal spatula. Enjoy immediately with spicy green chutney and garlic naan.

Green chutney

1. Cilantro – 1 small bunch
2. Mint leaves – 1/4 cup
3. Garlic – 1 small clove
4. Ginger – 1/4 inch
5. Green chillies – 2 small , seeded
6. Yoghurt –  2 – 3 tbsp
7. Lemon juice – 2 tsp or to taste
8. Sugar – 1 pinch or to taste
9. Salt – To taste

Rinse the cilantro and mint leaves. Drain in a colander. Blend everything together in the small jar of a blender adding little yoghurt until you get a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining yoghurt. Adjust the salt, sugar and lemon juice. Serve with tandoori chicken.