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Guest
Guest
Someone requested a recipe for Tandoori Chicken in the recipe section, thinking the WB would be a great way to make this recipe.
Actually, while a WB will make a good tasting chicken, it won't work for authentic Tandoori. That's because Tandoori quicken is cooked quickly with direct heat, not slowly with indirect heat. Tandoori chicken is made in Tandoor ovens. These are long, cylindrical clay ovens which produce an intense, direct heat of over 500 degrees F (how can you identify an Tandoor chef? The arm hairs are burned off). Tandoori chicken is skewered and thrust into this heat where it cooks quickly. So while it is difficult to make an authentic Tandoor chicken without this oven, an adequate approximation can be made by grilling or broiling the chicken.
I often make my chicken in a Weber grill over lump charcoal, which produces a very hot fire. The ceramic dome of the Weber sort of acts like a clay oven but I also find it dampens the fire somewhat. So sometimes I leave the top off and bank the charcoal to one side, moving the chicken to the cooler side if it starts to burn.
I have made Tandoori Turkey with indirect heat on a Weber grill. It?s not authentic but it sure was good!
Here are two recipes. The first is easy. Get some Tandoori spice mix, yogurt, and lemon and make it the easy way. I get my mix from Penzey's (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscurrytand.html).
Here is the complicated recipe. It's not that hard, just a lot of ingredients. It's worth it. This is from a sadly missed and closed Chicago restaurant called Bengal Lancers.
1 TB ground coriander
1 TB ground cumin
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB ground ginger
1 TB salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red or orange food coloring (this is why the chicken is red in restaurants)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup yogurt
1 TB vinegar
1 TB vegetable oil
3 lb fryer or 3 lb legs and breasts
3 TB ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1/4 tsp saffron
1 TB ground mango power if you can get it
1 onion, cut into rings
lemon wedges
1. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken, ghee, saffron, mango power, onion rings, and lemon wedges. Set the paste aside.
2. Skin, wash, and clean the chicken. Pierce all over with a fork. Make deep cuts in the breasts. Rub the paste all over the chicken and refrigerate for 25 to 48 hours. While marinating, turn chicken pieces a few times and rub in paste gently.
3. One hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Start up the grill.
4. In a small saucepan, warm the ghee and add saffron. Set aside.
5. Start grilling the chicken, basting with the ghee/saffron mixture.
6. Continue until chicken is cooked and tender. Sprinkle with mango powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges. Makes about 4 servings.
Actually, while a WB will make a good tasting chicken, it won't work for authentic Tandoori. That's because Tandoori quicken is cooked quickly with direct heat, not slowly with indirect heat. Tandoori chicken is made in Tandoor ovens. These are long, cylindrical clay ovens which produce an intense, direct heat of over 500 degrees F (how can you identify an Tandoor chef? The arm hairs are burned off). Tandoori chicken is skewered and thrust into this heat where it cooks quickly. So while it is difficult to make an authentic Tandoor chicken without this oven, an adequate approximation can be made by grilling or broiling the chicken.
I often make my chicken in a Weber grill over lump charcoal, which produces a very hot fire. The ceramic dome of the Weber sort of acts like a clay oven but I also find it dampens the fire somewhat. So sometimes I leave the top off and bank the charcoal to one side, moving the chicken to the cooler side if it starts to burn.
I have made Tandoori Turkey with indirect heat on a Weber grill. It?s not authentic but it sure was good!
Here are two recipes. The first is easy. Get some Tandoori spice mix, yogurt, and lemon and make it the easy way. I get my mix from Penzey's (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscurrytand.html).
Here is the complicated recipe. It's not that hard, just a lot of ingredients. It's worth it. This is from a sadly missed and closed Chicago restaurant called Bengal Lancers.
1 TB ground coriander
1 TB ground cumin
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB ground ginger
1 TB salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red or orange food coloring (this is why the chicken is red in restaurants)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup yogurt
1 TB vinegar
1 TB vegetable oil
3 lb fryer or 3 lb legs and breasts
3 TB ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1/4 tsp saffron
1 TB ground mango power if you can get it
1 onion, cut into rings
lemon wedges
1. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken, ghee, saffron, mango power, onion rings, and lemon wedges. Set the paste aside.
2. Skin, wash, and clean the chicken. Pierce all over with a fork. Make deep cuts in the breasts. Rub the paste all over the chicken and refrigerate for 25 to 48 hours. While marinating, turn chicken pieces a few times and rub in paste gently.
3. One hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Start up the grill.
4. In a small saucepan, warm the ghee and add saffron. Set aside.
5. Start grilling the chicken, basting with the ghee/saffron mixture.
6. Continue until chicken is cooked and tender. Sprinkle with mango powder and serve with onion rings and lemon wedges. Makes about 4 servings.