Tom’s Tandoori Chicken (it might bite)…wow. Just wow!
TOM'S TANDOORI CHICKEN:
Tom Prater is known for a few things. He’s a fantastic guy; we’ve know each other nearly 40 years (with a few gaps between our younger years and older years), and he’s also the real brains behind this website launch! He implemented all the behind the scenes setup and in general poured a ton of time into getting it up and running. I owe him a huge thank you for that, and now it seems that I also owe him even more since he’s a kick-ass cook and has kindly donated his much loved tandoori chicken recipe for you to all enjoy! Here you go everyone…please enjoy it’s crazy good!
INGREDIENTS (MARINADE):
- 4-6 Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks (or 4 breasts if preferred)
- 3 Tsp Paprika (Not Hot)
- 2 Tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Tsp Hot Curry Powder
- 1 Tsp Cayenne
- 2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp dried Basil
- 2 Tsp Chopped Cilantro (Coriander)
- 2 Tsp Cumin
- 2 Tsp Fresh Ginger (Minced)
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 250ml Plain Yoghurt (+/- 1 Cup)
- 2 Lemons (Juice Only)
- 1 Tsp Harissa Paste (See Harissa Post For Recipe) – Alternatively Use 2 Drops Red Food Colouring)
- 1 Baking Sheet (For Oven Use) Or 1 Foil Tray (For Barbecue)
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Glass Dish
- 10 Barbecue Skewers (Optional)
- 1 Barbecue
INGREDIENTS (HOT MINT DIP):
- 6 Tbsp Plain Yoghurt
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 5 Fresh Mint Sprigs
- 1 Green Chilli (I Used 2 Tsp Harissa Paste Instead)
- 1 Blender
- 1 Bowl (For Serving)
PROCESS:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then whisk in the yoghurt, cilantro, lemon juice and the harissa paste (or red food colouring) until you have a smooth and even consistency. Have a little taste – you don’t want it to be too spicy, so add more lemon juice if needed.
Remove the skin from the chicken and with a sharp knife score across the meat at 3/4″ intervals until nearly at the bone. If you’re using chicken breasts then score them about half way through (don’t go too deep or they might fall apart when cooking). Add the chicken into the marinade and massage all over, making sure all the scores are covered with the marinade. Refrigerate in a glass dish for at least three hours (overnight is even better).
When you’re ready to cook preheat your barbecue to 300F on indirect heat (an oven works perfectly well too) and cook the marinaded chicken for 45-60 minutes. Since I used the barbecue I decided to cut the chicken into large pieces and skewer them; I used a deep foil pan to hang the skewers over (to avoid contact with the grill), but a baking sheet in the oven will work perfectly well. According to Tom (and confirmed by me), now is a good time to have a cold beer as you don’t need to pay too much attention to the chicken drying out if you forget about it as it’s meant to be fairly dry.
As the chicken cooks, mix together the hot mint dip ingredients by adding the mint and chilli (I used harissa paste which also worked well) to a blender and then combine that with the salt and the yogurt. Serve the dip as a side to the tandoori chicken; they go hand in hand.
Tom recommends finishing the chicken on the grill to add a slightly charred finish (see the photo of his finished product), as this helps replicate the finish you’d get in a tandoor. Since I used the barbecue I just cranked up the heat and threw the chicken on the grill for a couple of minutes of direct heat.
Once finished on the grill enjoy with the dip and some naan bread!
Photo: Courtesy of Tom Prater
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