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Tandoori nights!

Try these sumptuous tandoori recipes at home

CLAY OVEN CUISINE Indian style of barbeque cooking

This origin of barbeque is interesting. Millions of years ago some prehistoric man dropped a piece of raw meat accidentally into a fire and realised that it tasted better than the raw meat he had been eating. Thus was born barbeque and from that our very own tandoori.

The secret of a good tandoori lies in the masala and spices use to marinade meat or vegetable in. Here are some tandoori recipes.

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients

Chicken breasts - 12

For the first marinade

Aji-no-moto-1tsp
Juice of two lemons
Salt - to taste
For the second marinade
Kashmiri chillies - 100gms
Garlic cloves - 10
Tamarind - 50gms
Cinnamon - 10gms
Cloves - 10gms
Yoghurt - 500gms
Amchoor powder - 20gms
Jalebi colour - half tsp
Ghee - 3tbsp
Salt - to taste
Method

Cut each fillet of chicken breast into three pieces. Mix salt, ajinomoto and limejuice together and apply it on the chicken breast. Allow it to stand for an hour. Grind the Kashmir chillies, tamarind, cinnamon, cloves and garlic. In a vessel whisk the yoghurt, jalebi colour and mango powder. Mix the ground masala and salt thoroughly in this. Add the chicken pieces and coat them well with the yoghurt mixture. Keep it for a day in the freezer.

Defreeze half an hour before you need the chicken. Fix three pieces of chicken in each skewer and place them in a tandoori oven. After 20 minutes, turn the skewer so that both sides are evenly roasted. Keep it for another 20 minutes. Brush ghee on to the chicken for glaze and to improve its taste. Serve with lime wedges and sliced onions over a bed of lettuce leaves.

Tandoori pomfret

Ingredients

Pomfrets- 2
First masala
Ajinomoto - Half tsp
Juice of a lemon
Salt - to taste
Second masala
Kashmir chillies - 20gms
Garlic paste - 1tsp
Green chillies - 2
Mint leaves finely chopped - Half tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cinnamon - 5gms
Cloves - 5gms
Yoghurt - 100ml
Mango powder - 10gms
Jalebi colour - half tsp

Method

Clean and wash the pomfret and make three diagonal slashes on each side of it. Rub the fish with salt, ajinomoto and limejuice. Set aside to marinate for two hours. Grind the second masala and add yoghurt, mango powder and colour to it. Mix well and coat the pomfrets with the paste. Keep it in the freezer overnight.

Defreeze half an hour before cooking. Cook it in tandoori oven about 25-30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, finger chips and tomato slices.

Tandoori cauliflower

Ingredients

Cauliflower (medium sized) - 2

Juice of two lemons
Salt - to taste
Banana leaves - 2
For the masala
Grated coconut - Half cup
Green chillies - 3
Mint leaves finely chopped - half tbsp
Coriander leaves finely chopped - Half cup
Mango powder - Half tbsp
Cumin seeds - Half tsp
Garlic paste - Half tbsp
Sugar - Half tsp
Method

Remove the leaves and stalks from the cauliflower and keep aside. Cut the stalk. Wash it and drain well and apply salt and lime juice. Place each cauliflower on a banana leaf with florets down and stalk-side up. Fill the gap between the stalk with the ground masala. Wrap each cauliflower with the banana leaf and tie it with a thread. Roast in a tandoori oven till the cauliflower becomes tender. It will take about 40 minutes. Peel off the banana leaves and serve.

LILY BABU JOSE

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