If you have been reading my
restaurant reviews, then you know MR R is a big Tandoori chicken fan.
As it is monsoon here in Goa,
his favourite restaurant, for what he claims the best tandoori @ Ryan’z
Bar, Candolim, Goa, has closed for a while, why the boys take a well-earned
break. Consequently he is craving a tandoori fix.
Therefore, today I pulled out
my homemade recipe and he was one
happy little bunny.
Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken.
Serves 2
GET WHAT YOU NEED
2 boneless and skinless
chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
FOR THE MARINADE
3 cloves
1 Tsp coriander seeds
1 Tsp cumin seeds
Seeds from 3 cardamom
pods
1 small onion
¼ Tsp ginger & garlic paste
¾ Tsp turmeric
½ green chilli seeded
½ Tsp Garam Masala
1 Tsp Kashmiri
paprika
Salt & pepper
4 Tbsp. plain yoghurt
NOW MARINATE!
1. Firstly, score each breast, several times with a sharp
knife.
2. Put the chicken into a freezer/food bag, add the lemon
juice. Seal the bag and shake well, so all of the chicken is coated in the
juice.
3. Put the bag into a bowl, and pop into the fridge for
1/2hr.
While you are waiting,
now make the spice mix.
1. Roughly chop onion and put into a processor/grinder
with the all the spices, ginger & garlic paste, green chilli, salt and
pepper. Blitz for a little while then add the yoghurt. Grind until smooth.
2. When the ½ hr is up, tip the spiced yoghurt into the
bag with the chicken. Seal and shake well.
3. Put bag back into bowl and into the fridge for a few
hours min (You can even leave it in the fridge for 24 hours, if you want to
prepare it the day before.)
Why do I keep
stressing, about putting the bag back in the bowl? Cross contamination of raw
chicken is dangerous.
A.
This
means never use anything that has come into contact with raw chicken on cooked
foods without washing them thoroughly first. This includes your hands, chopping
boards, knives, kitchen cloths, dishes and plates, barbecue tongs, basting
brush.
B.
Never
wash chicken. Water or spray-back from the tap is one of the easiest ways of
spreading the bacteria.
C.
Cover
raw chicken well and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge to lower the
risk of any raw juices potentially dripping on other items in your fridge.
D.
Use
an antibacterial sanitiser on any kitchen surface or fridge space that
happens to come into contact with raw chicken.
Better to be safe than
sorry!
NOW COOK
1. Preheat oven, 200/400/gas 6
2. Transfer the marinated chicken to a roasting tin, or
oven proof dish. Make sure you get all that marinate out of the bag.
3. Cook for 25-30 minutes. However check the chicken is
cooked right through first.
4. Preheat the
grill and place the chicken still in the tin or dish and grill until crispy.
5. Serve with a cucumber Rita and salad. You can also serve on a bed of rice or
noodles. Chips, and/or Indian bread.
For the Rita, you can make as much as you want. It’s just yoghurt
and shredded cucumber. I tend to use 6 Tbsps.
yoghurt and ½ a shredded cucumber for 2.
Salad: I prefer to shred: cabbage, white radish, carrot,
beetroot and chopped spring onions mixed together with apple cider vinegar,
salt and pepper.
