Oven Baked Tandoori chicken !! The name itself is a drool worthy for any non vegetarian Indian.
To eat healthy and clean try this classic Indian tandoori chicken recipe in an oven at home. This dish is specially for those who doesn’t have a tandoor sitting in the middle of their kitchen. Thank goodness now you don’t need a tandoor to make tandoori chicken at home. You can cook it an oven easily . The main thing of this dish is to select the skinless pieces of chicken, and always use bone-in- thigh and legs, as they have enough fat to stay moist under the heat of the grill.
The characteristic red hue of chicken pieces which is more appealing than tastes are from either lots of fiery chilies or the addition of artificial red food color. For this recipe, I use beetroot juice to get natural red hue. The flavor infusion and the lovely crust from the tenderizing mixture of curd and Indian spices marinade is sensational.
Flavorful and juicy oven baked tandoori chicken serve with naan or rice , garnish with sliced lemon to make scrumptious meal your family will always crave. Honestly , it will be hard to believe that it’s homemade.
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken bone-in thighs and legs
1 tablespoon roasted cumin powder
1 tablespoon roasted coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 lemon juice
1 tablespoon Garam masala powder ( if you don’t have in hand , use 1/2 teaspoon dry roasted nutmeg, cinnamon stick, cloves, green and black cardamom and star anise )
1/2 cup curd
Salt to taste
Veg oil / clarified butter / butter
Use few drops of beetroot juice for reddish hue like tandoori chicken that restaurant serve.
Method:
1.Wash and dry chicken pieces . Use sharp knife and make few slits in the chicken thighs and legs , you have to get to the bone, but be careful not to tear too much of flesh.
2,In a large bowl first mix curd with lime juice and slightly beaten it , then add other spices.Whisk it well until all spices incorporated well . Marinade the chicken in this mixture, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for about 6-7 hours or overnight.
3.Next day preheat oven at 200 degree C. Now place a silver foil in baking tray and place the chicken pieces. Spoon any remaining marinade into chicken , cover it with silver foil and bake it at 200 degree C about 35 to 40 minutes.
4.Once cooked through remove from oven , sprinkle some oil or clarified butter on top of chicken . Switch oven mode to broil and place the chicken again , cook for another 3-5 minutes till the chicken begins to blacken on the edges.
5.Serve hot with rice or Naan .
