Indian Kick - Tandoori Chicken

 

Setting the scene: It was a perfect San Francisco summer day – 64 degrees and gray skies – and I had a craving for Indian. 

Display at the Alameda Flea Market

I am going to do my best to do a little series that made up my Indian extravaganza, starting with my Tandoori Chicken. Now, I did some serious research, as I didn't want to have a totally white-washed version of Tandoori Chicken . . . that being said I took some liberties and I definitely don't have a real Tandoor oven.

For a great post on Tandoori Chicken you can read about David Lebovitz's foray here. 

I started with 1 teaspoon coriander, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few shakes of cayenne. I combined the spices with 2 or 3 tablespoons minced ginger, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 sliced serrano chili, the juice of one lime and 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt. Once all the ingredients were mixed I poured the marinade over my 4 whole chicken legs and stuck it in the fridge to marinate. It should marinate for a nice long while (overnight is always good) but sometimes when you get a craving, you aren't able to plan that far ahead. I now know that the chicken turns out just fine if it only marinates for some hours. 

View of the city from Alameda

Pull the chicken out of the marinade and cook on a grill pan at high heat for about seven minutes a side. If the chicken isn't cooked through (as was the case when I made this) pop the chicken in a 400 degree oven for another few minutes (leaving it on the grill pan can result in the skin getting a nice char). 


For chicken accompaniments . . . stay tuned.