Indian
Tandoori chicken
Indian
Tandoori chicken
Yoghurt-marinated chicken, roasted on a rack until the edges char. The oven stands in for the tandoor.
When I worked in Malaysia, first as an animation supervisor and later as a director, my lunch place was Chacha Naan & Biryani, a small eatery in a food court in Petaling Jaya. Their tandoori chicken, with garlic and cheese naan, was the one I kept going back for. This is me chasing that flavour from an Australian oven. The marinade wants at least 4 hours, or overnight. The 45 minutes is the roasting.
Before you cook
Tandoori chicken is a North Indian dish cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven hot enough to char the outside while the meat stays juicy. The red comes from chilli and paprika, the tenderness from yoghurt. At home the oven and a rack do the job. The smoke of a real tandoor is not in this tray, and I will not pretend it is.
- Serves
- 4
- Time
- 45 min
- Level
- Weeknight
- Energy
- 340kcal
- Gluten-free
Contains dairy.
Equipment
- Oven
- Large bowl
- Wire rack
- Foil-lined tray
- Knife
Each serving
An estimate from average ingredient values, not a lab test.
- Energy
- 1423 kJ
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbohydrate
- 6 g
- Sugars
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
- Salt
- 1.2 g
- Sodium
- 480 mg
This batch, 4 servings, is about 5690 kJ (1360 kcal), with 12 g sugars and 4.8 g salt.
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go. They reset when you leave.
Shops near you
Use where you are, including when you travel. Nothing is sent until you tap. Or type a suburb. Prices are not listed, because they change every week.
Bagoong, Mang Tomas, Mama Sita’s, and fresh curry leaves are often missing from the big shops. A Filipino or Asian grocer is the backup. Do not swap bagoong for plain salt and expect the same dish.
Method
- 01
Stir the yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl.
- 02
Score the thick pieces. Turn the chicken through the marinade until it is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- 03
Heat the oven to 200°C. Set the chicken on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray.
- 04
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until it is cooked through and a little charred at the edges.
- 05
Finish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Eat it with naan, rice, or a salad.
Times are a guide. If it needs another minute, give it another minute.
To serve
With naan, rice, or a salad, and a last squeeze of lemon. Coriander on top if you have it.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat it in a hot oven until the meat is steaming, or eat it cold. Do not leave it on the bench.
Leftovers
- Tandoori chicken, the next day
For a parent, a student, or anyone who cooked yesterday.
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Hungry Alan
Tandoori chicken
Serves 4 · 45 min
Ingredients
- 600 g mixed chicken pieces, wings, thighs, and drumsticks
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to serve
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, or 1 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder, to your heat
- salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- coriander, chopped, to finish
Method
- Stir the yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl.
- Score the thick pieces. Turn the chicken through the marinade until it is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Set the chicken on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray.
- Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until it is cooked through and a little charred at the edges.
- Finish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Eat it with naan, rice, or a salad.
To serve
With naan, rice, or a salad, and a last squeeze of lemon. Coriander on top if you have it.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat it in a hot oven until the meat is steaming, or eat it cold. Do not leave it on the bench.