Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken

This is a typical dish from India. It is made with bone-in chicken legs and thighs but at home, we use boneless chicken legs just because we are practical.  This is a very healthy recipe, full of flavor, and super easy to make. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in or boneless chicken legs and thighs
8 oz plain yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tbs red food coloring
1 ½ tbs masala mix
-1 tbs peppercorn
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp fennel seeds
- 6 cloves
-1 tsp coriander
-1/8 tsp cardamom
-1/8 tsp nutmeg
-1/8 tsp cayenne
-1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
-1/8 tsp Indian ground vanilla
-1/2 tsp mustard powder
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt to taste

Preparation

Toast the peppercorn, cumin, fennel seeds, coriander, cloves, and cardamom at low heat for about 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes at the last five minutes. Grind them and add nutmeg, cayenne, ground vanilla, mustard powder, and cinnamon. Mix well and put the mix in an air-tight container. This can be done ahead.

If using bone-in chicken legs and thighs, make indentations in the thickest parts of the flesh to ensure better seasoning. Season with salt.

Mix yogurt with food coloring and lemon juice. Add the masala mix to the chicken and coat evenly. Cover and let it chill overnight.

When ready to use, preheat your oven at 450-500 F. Cook chicken for about 20 minutes. If necessary, turn the heat down to 300 F and finish cooking in a low heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked.