I love the flavors of tandoori chicken and these vivid memories of this quaint tandoori restaurant in Alleppey in Kerala, India. It was late in the evening, pouring rain (a monsoon came three days later), and we tucked into this brightly lit eatery with tandoori chicken spits lining the front window. This red spicy chicken that was perfectly cooked and impossible to put down with the thick marinade coating our fingers.
I’m not sure if I will ever make it back to that chicken hut again, but it has inspired me to play with those tandoori flavors. These skewers cook perfectly over fire, are great for a crowd, easy to prep ahead of time, and really who doesn’t like to eat food off a stick.
INGREDIENTS
- Vegetable oil to coat the pan
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1C. yogurt or kefir
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 inch ginger peeled & grated
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 chili pepper minced
- salt and pepper
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
EQUIPMENT
- Sauté pan
- wooden spoon
- pot or pan with lid
- skewers
- grill grate of braai grid
METHOD
- Mix dried seasoning together.
- Heat oil in pan over medium low.
- Add ginger, garlic, and chili and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add dried seasoning in pan and mix with oil until it becomes fragrant roughly 2 minutes
- Remove from heat and mix with yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Toss chicken cubes in marinade and let rest for at least 8 hours ideally 24 hours mixing every few hours.
- Skewer chicken and cook over coals until cooked through roughly 30 minutes halfway through rubbing on the rest of the sauce. Alternatively, in the oven on a sheet tray at 180° C/ 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes and devour.
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