Tandoori Chicken

Back in Tallahassee, we used to frequent an Indian restaurant that was wonderful. They served delectable naan and various chutneys; mango lassi drinks and Indian beer. I would always order their vegetarian sampler (eating way too much and having to subsequently unbutton my jeans) and the Irishman invariably ordered the tandoori chicken, which was served with white rice and grilled onions.

When I was at Greenlife, the organic grocery store we frequent, I found this tandoori seasoning.



Better yet, it had the recipe for the tandoori marinade on the back of the jar. Here's what you'll need:

3 Tbs. tandoori seasoning mix
3 Tbs. plain yogurt
3 Tbs. vinegar
3 Tbs. lemon juice
3 Tbs. oil

Just as an FYI, this is what it says is in my tandoori spice mix: salt, ginger, garlic, red pepper, paprika, tumeric, nutmeg, coriander, cimmanon, mace, anise, cloves, fenugreek, fennel seed. I bet the quantities of each is readily available on the Internet.

Now, throw all of the ingredients into a large ziploc bag and squish and squeeze the bag until they're combined. Next, take out your chicken - traditional tandoori uses legs and thighs, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. I generally get a 6 pack of drumsticks. Take the skin off the chicken if it's on there and make nice, deep slits into the meat on all sides so that the marinade penetrates the meat.

When that's done, throw your chicken into the plastic bag containing the marinade, give it a good rub so that the chicken is fully coated and then toss it into your fridge for 24 hours.

*Fast forward 24 hours*

Now, tandoori chicken is usually baked in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay pot, but since I don't happen to own one, I just crank my oven up to 400 degrees. Then, I line a baking sheet with a piece of foil and using tongs, lift the chicken out of the marinade and put it on the baking sheet. Since I can't stand letting marinades go to waste, I usually pour some of the leftovers on top of the chicken.

Now let it bake! Drumsticks usually take about 25 minutes to cook, but judge the time accordingly if you're using a different cut of meat.

While the chicken is cooking, I'll get some basmati rice going and then when there's only 10 minutes left, I'll throw some sliced onions onto a hot, dry non-stick skillet. This mimics the grilling process without having to whip out your grill or the George Foreman, which I have a serious aversion to cleaning.

And that's it. Dish it up and have at it. The Irishman said that this comes pretty close to our favorite little Indian place, but as I don't eat poultry, you'll have to take his word for it. For what it's worth, he didn't leave a drop of rice, chicken or onions.