Tandoori chicken

It takes a lot of spices and a dedicated tandoor (a special superhot outdoor oven) to make the best Indian tandoori chicken! Since most of us don’t have one of these ovens, I’ve included both grilling and regular oven instructions here

As for the multitude of spices, I kept each to a minimum amount so that you can tweak this to suit your family. We like it spicy and hot, so I often add more of the hot spices. If you prefer it milder, cut back or leave out some of the hot spices and the pepper , and try more coriander and cinnamon. Leave out anything you don’t like! There are so many different recipes for tandoori chicken sauce, this is not THE definitive way to make it…just the way we like best

I served it with stir fried vegetables the other night (broccoli, leeks, scallions, carrots, and sweet peppers) and flatbread. You can also serve it with basmati rice for another traditional combo. I added some sweet cinnamon, cloves, and coriander to the oil for the stir fry.

Tandoori Chicken

3/4 c nonfat plain yogurt
Small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 T fresh ginger, chopped fine
Jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeds removed and chopped fine
1-1/2 T lemon juice
2 t paprika
1/2 t ground cumin or cumin seeds
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t garam masalah
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

6-8 chicken thighs, skinless and preferably boneless

Stir together the yogurt through the salt and pepper. Use a whisk vigorously, or even better a hand-held blender to combine. Cut long slits into the chicken pieces with a sharp knife. Place all ingredients into a covered dish or a ziploc bag and allow to marinate in the fridge all day or overnight. Make sure the sauce works into the cuts in the chicken.

The second best method to cook this (the first best being a tandoor) is on a hot grill, around 500 degrees. Remove the chicken from the sauce, allowing as much as possible to stay on it, and grill for 8 minutes per side, continuing to turn and grill until cooked through but still tender, about 25 minutes total.

To cook indoors, heat over to 500. Spray the rack of a roasting pan with cooking oil and place over a piece of aluminum foil in a very shallow pan. Place the chicken on the rack and cook without turning for 25 to 30 minutes.
Image: Cyndi Lavin