One of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors is Madhur Jaffrey, who has taught thousands of people to cook Indian dishes. I especially like this recipe for tandoori chicken, which is based on hers. The bright red color most people associate with tandoori chicken comes from Kashmiri chiles as well as food coloring. Jaffrey opts instead for fresh green chiles.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 2 lemons
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 (3/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 fresh hot green chile (such as serrano), roughly sliced
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- Lemon wedges
Method
- Make two diagonal incisions, each about 1 inch long, on the center of each side of the chicken pieces. (The slits, which should not start at an edge, and should be deep enough to reach bone.)
- Place the chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over chicken, and sprinkle with salt. Gently rub 1 teaspoon of salt and lemon juice into the slits. Turn chicken over and repeat with the remaining lemon and salt. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Blend the yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, green chile, and garam masala in a food processor or blender into a smooth paste, about 3 minutes. Transfer spice paste to a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl and turn until coated evenly in spice paste, being sure to get the paste into the slits. Cover the chicken and refrigerate at least 5 hours, up to 24 hours.
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Grill the chicken pieces over moderately high heat, basting with butter, until browned, 10 minutes. Turn and cook, basting with remaining butter, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Squeeze lemon wedges over the chicken and serve with naan and/or basmati rice or a nice green salad such as kale.
