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Photo: Anu Pushkarna

Spicy bites Tandoori chicken

With winter in the air, backyards and terraces are welcoming again. I think there is no better way to celebrate autumn than with a barbecue or a tandoor with friends.

Tandoori chicken might be common, but I am most partial to it. You will find it in wayside dhabas but you can also order it in five-star hotels. A perfect tandoori chicken should be light pink in the centre and crisp on the outside. A slight taste of smokiness should be found throughout. It should be gently dipped in the chutney. The chutney is pungent instead of being hot, because of the use of cumin with coriander instead of chilli.

I even think that a good tandoori chicken should be able to make the eater cry!

Its taste is such that people across the globe can appreciate it. The dish has migrated to other countries. In fact, people make a small modification in the dish and then claim it to be their national dish!

Take the case of chicken tikka masala in the U.K.The dish became a major bone of contention when the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared chicken tikka masala as a true British National dish.

This leads to different sources claiming parentage to it and other similar chicken dishes.

But in my opinion, tandoori chicken was invented by Shri Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi. In fact, in the absence of modern fridges and other scientific machines, the tikkas used to become dry when hung by the tandoors. This prompted Gujral to invent the makhani sauce – which is the king of all sauces today.

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients

1 chicken – 750 gm/ 1 lb cut into 4 pieces

2 tsp chaat masala – to sprinkle

For the first marinade

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

For the second marinade

1/2 cup /100gm Yoghurt (whisked curd)

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp rock salt (kala namak)

1 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Onions wedges cut into rings

1 lemon wedges

Method

Make two deep incisions on the breast, thighs and the drumsticks of chicken.

For the first marinade, mix all the ingredients and rub over the chicken pieces and also inside the incisions. Keep aside for at least an hour.

For the second marinade, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and rub into the chicken pieces.

Keep aside for three to four hours.

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree C or 350 degree F, place the chicken on the grill rack or wire rack (place the drip tray underneath to collect the drippings).

Grill for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush the pieces with oil and turn the side and grill for another three to four minutes till the chicken is dry and cooked.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle chaat masala and serve with the lemon wedges and the onion rings.

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