INDIAN TANDOORI CHICKEN (WITHOUT OVEN AND TANDOOR)

Tandoori chicken is a well known dish throughout the world. Being very proud of this fact, I would like to share a brief history about it’s popularity.

Tandoori chicken gets its name from the word tandoor (a cylindrical clay oven ) in which this dish is prepared. This chicken dish originated in Punjab as traditionally tandoori cooking was followed in Punjab. Villages in Punjab had communal tandoors where centrally food was prepared. Even today few villages have these tandoors.

Post partition Punjabis settled in Delhi and other places.  Moti mahal deluxe restaurant, in Delhi served this dish for the first time to first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru who liked the dish so much that he made this dish a regular part of official banquets. Visiting dignitaries enjoyed it so much and that led to it’s popularity throughout the world.

This is an easy to make dish which broadly involves just two steps. First is the marination and the second is grilling. Marination period can be anything between four to twenty four hours. The second step can be done in an oven, tandoor, barbeque or in a kadhai.

Chicken pieces or the whole chicken is marinated in yoghurt with lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and other spices. The longer the marination period, better is the taste.

I started preparing this dish when very young and I was quite known for it. No ready made or instant spices are required, just the basic ones.
Just push the marinated pieces on to a skewer and cook over a barbeque.
Don't have a barbeque...... cook in a regular thick bottomed pan or kadhai(skillet) and smoked towards the end to give it a tandoori effect. The result is as good as the traditional tandoori chicken. I am sharing the same with you all enjoy it...

Recipe for Indian Tandoori chicken in kadhai(skillet)

Ingredients

• 800 gms skinned chicken (cut in medium sized pieces)
• ¼ cup butter or oil
• 2  inches pieces of coal (for smoking)

For marinade

• 200 gms yoghurt
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tsp red chilly powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

How to make

In a mixing bowl put all the ingredients for marination. Mix well.

Add the washed chicken pieces and rub the marinade with your hands till the pieces are well coated.

Cover with a cling film and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

Heat some oil in a kadhai. Add the marinated pieces (not the marinade) and roast on medium heat till done. As the chicken is marinated it cooks as fast as 7 to 8 minutes.

Heat two pieces of coal directly on the burner. Put these coal pieces in a small bowl. Pour few drops of oil on it to get fumes. Keep it in the center of the kadhai and immediately cover with lid for 3 to 4 minutes.

Brush with some butter and enjoy this lip smacking dish as a snack with green chutney or with simple yellow dal and rice.

Tip

• If you intend to use bigger pieces or even make a whole chicken, it is advisable to make a few cuts on it to help the marinade get inside it.
• Marinade can be used as the base for another dish. Also leftover tandoori chicken can be added to it.