What's a Tandoor or Tandoori?

Tandoori Chicken is a spicy roasted chicken made in a Tandoor and seasoned with spicy yogurt and curry based sauce. Tandoori or Tandoor is an earthen oven used in India. It usually gets very hot, around 800 F, inside it. Tandoor barrel-shaped and run by using coal which burns at the bottom and heats clay interior.

The best substitute for Tandoor will be a closed charcoal grill. You can also use an oven, but it should be your last resort.

Tandoori Chicken is also spelled as Tanduri chicken or Tandori Chicken.

Ingredients:

10 pieces of chicken (drumsticks and/or breast with skin removed)
1 cup plain yoghurt
Spices:
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red chilli powder (adjust according to preference)
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon cumin powder
½ tablespoon mustard
½ tablespoon garam masala powder

Optional Spices:

A few pods of cardamom, a pinch of saffron, salt to taste

Note: You can also buy ready-made Tandoori Chicken Spice mixture or paste in any South Asian store or ethnic sections of big grocery store.

Preparation:

1. Mix all spices with yogurt and butter to make marinating sauce.
2. Prick the chicken and apply the sauce. Cover chicken and marinate overnight inside a refrigerator (at least 4 hrs).
3. Grill the chicken in regular way. (For better result, apply melted butter to the chicken just before you grill.)
4. Cook chicken until brownish (or way you prefer)
5. Serve sliced onion (ring) and lemon wedges with the tandoori chicken. Lemon juice can be sprinkled on the cooked chicken to add zesty flavor.

Indian restaurant Taj of Marin is located at 909 4th Street San Rafael, CA. 94901 Tel #: (415) 459-9555