Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients
1 kg or 4 whole chicken legs
lime wedges
1/2 onion thinly sliced

Marinade ingredients
6 cloves fresh garlic
4cm or 11/2 " fresh ginger
4 tsp chili powder
4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
2 tsp lime juice
4 tbsp yoghurt
3 tbsp oil

Preparations
  1. Remove skin and visible fat from chicken legs and make a few diagonal cuts on the thicker parts to allow for even cooking and for marinade to penetrate.
  2. To prepare marinade, pound garlic and ginger finely in mortar and pestle or grate finely. Combine this with the chili powder, garam masala, salt, lime juice, yogurt and oil . Coat the chicken pieces with this mixture , ensuring that they are well covered with the marinade. Transfer the chicken into a clean, roomy plastic bag where the marinade can coat the meat more efficiently. Squeeze excess air out, seal and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
  3. Preheat grill to high. Arrange chicken on wire rack, leaving a little space in between each piece and grill fairly close to the source of heat. Cook 10 minutes on each side or until chicken is well browned and cooked through. (Testing by inserting a skewer or tip of a knife into the tight - the juices should not be pink or tinged with blood)
  4. Serve hot with rice or naan bread , Traditionally, wedges of lime or lemon and thinly slice raw onion are served with the chicken. Squeeze a little lime juice on the chicken for added tang.