Tandoori Chicken Recipe – Oven Roasted

Tandoori chicken is arguably the most popular chicken recipes in Indian cuisine not only in India but also all over the world. Tender pieces of chicken (mostly drumsticks and leg pieces) are marinated in yogurt and spice mixture and roasted in a Tandoor. Hence the name Tandoori Chicken.

A 'Tandoor' is a giant cylindrical oven made out of clay, set into the earth and fired using wood or charcoal. They were originally used to make naan bread until Tandoori chicken came into the picture. I have used a conventional oven with broiler to replace the tandoor which obviously is not available at homes. Even with the oven I have managed to get the same taste as restaurant style Tandoori Chicken.

The secret to making juicy succulent tandoori chicken lies in the marinade and also the type of the chicken. Try to use a chicken that is small, young in age and that is not more than 1 Kilogram (2.2 lb) in total weight to get the best results.

Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken Recipe

• Chicken drumsticks – 6 medium sized pieces
  or
  Chicken Thighs or other pieces of your choice with skin removed – 1 kg (2.2lb)
  NOTE: If you have whole leg cut it into 2 at the joint to get a drumstick piece and a thigh piece.
  
• Thick Yogurt/ Curd – 6 tbsp
  TIP: If the curd or yogurt that you have is watery the marinade will become too thin and will not stick on to the chicken very well. So to remove the water take a muslin cloth sieve or use any finely netted sieve and put it on a container. Then pour the watery curd on to the sieve so that the excess water strains down into the container leaving the thick curd on the sieve. After straining you need to have 6 tbsp of this thick curd to be used for the marinade.
  
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder –1 tsp
• Red Chilly powder – 1 tbsp (Preferably use Kashmiri Red Chilly powder if you can get it)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Chat masala – 1 tsp
• Pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Black salt (optional) – 1/2 tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Red food color (optional) – 1/4 tsp
• Kasoori Methi – 1 tsp (crushed dry leaves)
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Prep time: 10 minutes

Marination time: 4 hours

Cook time: 30 minutes

 

 

Tandoori Chicken Marinade:

1. Remove the skin on the chicken, rinse them gently under water and pat dry them.
2. Using a knife make slightly 3 or 4 deep diagonal slits on the chicken pieces. If you are using large pieces like the whole chicken leg you need to make more slits that are deeper.
3. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice ,salt, chilly powder and just apply the paste on the chicken pieces. Set the chicken pieces aside for for 20-30 minutes.
4. In another large bowl, mix yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, black salt, chat masala, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, food color and salt.
5. Now taste this mixture and adjust the salt or other spices to your taste needs.
6. Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and mix well such that all the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the yogurt marinade. Ensure to rub in the marinade well into the slits that you made on the chicken pieces.
7. Now add oil and mix gently.
8. Store the marinated chicken in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.

Tandoori Chicken Cooking method:

1. Since the chicken needs to be cooked in a high temperature make sure the oven is first preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (~230 degrees Celsius) or just set the oven to 'Broiler' mode. In Broiler mode wait for around 5 minutes before putting in the chicken.
2. While the oven is heating up lineup the marinated chicken pieces into the broiler pan/rack.
3. Once the oven is preheated put the pan in the oven preferably at the top, close to the heating coil/element.
4. After around 5 minutes check to see how the chicken is cooking in the oven. If it cooking very quickly or if it is turning brown too quickly then you will need to move the pan to the middle of the oven so that it is not too close to the heating element. Please be extremely careful when taking out or putting in items into the oven that is very hot at this point.
5. Allow the Chicken to roast for another 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken pieces and put it back into the oven.
6. Roast for another 15 minutes. At this stage you need to check if the chicken is fully cooked.
   You can do it 2 ways:
   - The first and the easiest method is to use a instant meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer up to an inch or so into the thickest meatier part of the chicken piece and wait for a few seconds. If the final temperature is around 165 to 170 degree Fahrenheit then the chicken if fully cooked. If not allow the chicken to roast for a few more minutes.
   - The 2nd method is to just insert a fork into the chicken. It should go in with ease all the way to the bone and if you move the fork sideways the meat on the chicken piece should start easily separating.
7. Take the chicken out of the oven and allow it to settle for a few minutes. Garnish with sliced onions, lemon wedges and serve hot.

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Spicy Chilli Chicken Recipe

Need a break from everyday Indian meals? Then look no further than Indo-chinese recipes. Popular among them are Gobi manchurian, Chicken manchurian and one of my favorites Chilli Chicken. For beginners Indo-chinese cuisine is basically the usage of chinese seasoning, sauces and cooking techniques mixed in with some indian spices to suit Indian tastes.

The Chilli chicken recipe here is a dry and spicy version where marinated chicken pieces are deep fried then cooked in a mixture of green chilly, capsicum, soya sauce & red chili sauce and finally garnished with spring onion. So lets get cooking!

Ingredients for Chilli Chicken Recipe

• Boneless Chicken – 1/2 kilogram (1 inch pieces)
• Green Chilly – 15-20 (cut length-wise)
• Onion – 1 small (thin long slices or short thick cubed slices)
• Capsicum (Bell Pepper) – 1 (thin long slices or short thick cubed slices)
• Soya Sauce – 1 tablespoon
• Red Chili Sauce –  1 1/2 teaspoons
• Ajinomoto – 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
• Sugar – 1/4 teaspoon
• Garlic – 8-10 cloves(chopped finely)
• Ginger – 1 teaspoon (finely chopped pieces)
• Pepper Powder – 3/4 teaspoon
• Corn Flour – 3 tablespoon
• Egg – 1
• Spring Onion – 4 chopped
• Water – 1 1/2 cup
• Food color (red or orange) – 1 pinch
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serving: 4 people

Chicken Marinade

1. In a bowl take the chicken pieces and add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. Add 2 tablespoon corn flour, 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder (rest will be used later).
3. Mix the ingredients well and set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

Cooking method for Chilly Chicken Recipe

1. In a frying pan or a heavy bottomed vessel take sufficient oil for deep frying on medium heat.
2. When the oil is hot put the marinated chicken pieces into it and deep fry them for around 8 minutes.
3. After 8 minutes take the chicken pieces out and put them on tissue paper to remove the excess oil.
4. Take another pan on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil.
5. When the pan is hot add chopped ginger and garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
6. Now add green chilly and mix for another minute.
7. Toss in onion and capsicum and fry for 3 more minutes.
8. Its time now to put in the soya sauce and red chilly sauce. Mix the contents well.
9. Add 1 cup water, stir the contents and wait till it starts to boil.
10. Now add food color, salt to taste and mix again. At this stage you can now taste a few drops of liquid to check for salt and also for spice level. You can add more salt or more red chilly sauce based on your taste needs. Be careful to not overdo it.
11. Add a pinch of food color and mix well.
12. Its time for the star of the the dish the chicken to go in . Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder, ajinomoto (optional) and sugar.
13. In a separate vessel or a cup, add 1/2 cup of water, 1 tablespoon corn flour and stir. This will be used as the thickening agent.
14. Now increase the heat from medium to high. Add the corn flour water mixture little by little and stir the contents slowly. You will see that the contents starts to thicken.
15. When there is no liquid left, the chilli chicken recipe is almost done. Take the pan off the heat and add finely chopped  fresh spring onion and mix gently.

Serve hot as a starter/appetizer or as a side dish. Enjoy!

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Spicy Hyderabadi Chicken 65 Recipe

Chicken 65 is a very popular Hyderabadi deep fried chicken recipe. Like most of us I too am not sure how this recipe got its name primarily because there are so many stories to it.

One story claims that a hotelier prepared the Chicken 65 recipe with1 kilo of chicken using 65 chilies. Another attributes the number 65 to the year when the recipe was introduced and yet another attributes 65 to the age of chicken in days. What ever the story, there is no denying that this recipe is hot and spicy delicious. So without further ado lets get started.

Ingredients for Chicken 65 Recipe:

• Boneless chicken – 1/2 kg
• Egg – 1 no
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Red chilly powder  – 1 tsp
• Red food color – 2 pinch
• Corn flour – 2 tbsp
• Green chilly – 8 no (split)
• Curry leaves – 10 no
• Ginger finely chopped –1 tbsp
• Curd/Yogurt – 1 1/2 cup
• Ajinomoto – 1 pinch
• Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste
  

Cooking Method for Chicken 65 Recipe:

1. Take a bowl. Add ginger garlic paste, food color, salt, chilly powder, corn-flour, egg, chicken and mix well. Set aside this marinate for half an hour.
2. Take a heavy bottom deep frying pan with sufficient oil.
3. When oil is hot, fry the chicken pieces in batches and set aside.
4. Take another nonstick pan. Put 2 tbsp oil, add finely chopped ginger and fry for 2 min.
5. Put green chilies and sauté for another 2 minutes. Then put curry leaves and fry till curry leaves turn crispy.
6. Add yogurt and cook for a couple of more minutes. When the curd starts to bubble, add salt, ajinomoto , food color and then add the fried chicken. Now increase the heat and mix well.
7. Once you see that the chicken has absorbed 3/4th of the curd, add pepper and mix well.
8. Continue tossing the chicken slowly without breaking them into smaller pieces. I would recommend using a wooden spatula. Toss the chicken until all the curd is absorbed and you are left with almost dry chicken pieces.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Fried Chicken Kebab (Kabab) Recipe

Most of the Chicken Kebab or Kabab recipes are the skewed and grilled or tandoor variety where the chicken chunks are marinated in special spices and then grilled on skewers or cooked in tandoor. This is so even though the word Kabab or Kebab in Arabic actually means fried meat and not grilled meat.

This Chicken Kebab recipe is different in that the marinated chicken are fried instead of being grilled and it tastes heavenly.

Chicken Kebab Recipe Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1 kg/2.2 lbs
• Cooking Oil - As required for deep frying

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

• Maida (All purpose flour) – 4 tbsp (tablespoon)
• Corn Starch – 2 tbsp
• Eggs – 2
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2tbsp
• Lemon – 2 medium size
• Red Chili powder – 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 2 tsp (teaspoon)
• Dhania (Coriander) powder – 1 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin) powder – 1 tbsp
• Kebab powder – 1 tsp (optional)
• Green chili – 3 nos (finely chopped)
• Ginger – 1 tsp (finely chopped)
• Coriander or cilantro leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Food color powder – 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Marination time: 4 hours

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serving: 4-6 people

Chicken Kebab Recipe Cooking Method:

1. Break the eggs into a container and whisk them using a spoon.
2. Add all the above ingredients except the chicken and mix well. 
3. If the paste is too thick then you can add more lemon juice or little water.
4. Once a thick paste is formed, taste the marinade and then based on your taste needs you can add more of the ingredients.
5. Then add the chicken pieces and coriander leaves and mix well until every chicken piece is evenly coated with the marinade.
6. Now set aside the marinated chicken for about 4 hours. These 4 hours are important to allow the flavors from the marinade to get into the chicken.
7. Heat the cooking oil on a heavy-bottomed pan and deep fry the kebabs till golden as seen in the picture (Note: The dark color in the picture is the result of using food color).
8. Allow the Chicken Kebabs to cool on paper towels. Serve hot with onion slices and lemon pieces.

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Butter Chicken Curry Recipe

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murg Makhani) is my Mother's favorite recipe and is also among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas, ghee rice, jeera rice or plain steamed rice and its gravy can be made as mild or hot as you like so it suits most palates.

There are many stories surrounding the origin of Butter Chicken. According to a documentary by the Discovery Channel, the butter chicken recipe was invented by a person working in the kitchen staff of a famous restaurant called Moti Mahal located in Daryaganj, the central region of Delhi.

Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1 kg or 2.2 lb
• Onion paste: 1 cup
• Tomato puree: 2 cups
• Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
• Green Chili: 2 nos
• Meat Masala powder: 2 tbsp
• Red Chili powder: 1 tbsp
• Food Color: 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Dhania powder: 1 1/2 tbsp
• Kasoori Methi: 2 tbsp
• Butter: 100 gms
• Coconut paste (Optional) : 1/2 cup (Add more if you need more gravy)
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon (Dalchini), Cloves (Lavang) and Cardamom (Elaichi) powder: Make 1/4 tsp of powder with 2 sticks of cinnamon, 4 cloves and 2 cardamom
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnish

Butter Chicken Recipe Cooking Method:

Chicken Marination

1. In a bowl add chicken, 1/2 cup onion paste, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, food color and mix well. Keep aside for 1 hour.

 

Butter Chicken Curry or Gravy

1. In a pan on medium heat add butter. When the butter melts add the remaining onion paste and saute for around 5 minutes till the raw smell of onion no longer exists.
2. Add the green chili cut into long slices and ginger garlic paste to the mix and stir for 3 minutes.
3. Add tomato puree and cook for another 6 minutes
4. Then add 1/4 cup water.
5. Add dhani powder, meat masala powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, chili powder and mix well.
6. Now add the marinated chicken and cook for 15 minutes with a lid covering the pan on low heat.
7. At this stage add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom powder, kasoori methi and coconut paste. If you want more gravy you can add more water and salt.
8. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the chicken is well cooked.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot. This delicious Butter Chicken goes very well with all types of Rotis and flavored rice like Ghee Rice and Jeera Rice.

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Spicy Chicken Dry Recipe

The Spicy Chicken dry recipe is one of the lesser known chicken recipes. I learnt this recipe long time ago on one of the regional cooking shows on TV in India.

Just like the Pepper chicken dry recipe, this recipe is very very delicious and the people who eat it will end up asking for more!

Ingredients for Chicken Dry Recipe:

• Chicken - 1/2 kg or 1.1 lb
• Soya Sauce - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Tumeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon + Cloves (Lavang/Laung) Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Food color - 2 pinch
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Coriander or Cilantro Chopped - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serving: 3-4 people

Cooking Method for the Chicken Dry Recipe:

1. Put a non-stick pan or khadhai on medium heat. Add chicken and stir for 2 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat a little and add soya sauce, tomato sauce, chilli powder, turmeric, ginger garlic paste and mix well.
3. After a couple of minutes add salt, cinnamon and cloves powder and food color. Mix well, close the lid and leave it to cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
4. Add coriander leaves and oil. Mix well and wait for 2 minutes.
5. At this stage there will be some liquid from the chicken in the pan. You need to now allow the chicken to cook in its own liquid until all the liquid evaporates.
6. Add pepper powder, mix well. Wait for another minute and the dish is done.

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Chicken (Murg) Dum Biryani Recipe

Chicken Dum biryani(biriyani) though being elaborate in preparing, is a sinfully tasty and very well savored recipe. It is found in all parts of India, Pakistan, Afganistan and other countries and forms an integral part of their cuisine. This recipe here is the popular Hyderabadi chicken biryani.

The word Biryani is derived from the Persian word berya(n) which means "roasted" or "fried". Legend has it that a Nawab of Punjab wore a matching turban for each variety of biryani. The Nizam's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. Now lets get started!

Chicken Dum Biryani Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1k.g/2.2lb
• Basmati Rice - 1k.g/2.2lb
• Onions - 6 medium sized (long thinly sliced)
• Tomato - 6 medium sized (chopped)
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 cup or 6-8 tablespoons
• Mint (Pudina) - 1 bunch
• Coriander (Cilantro) - 1/2 bunch
• Green Chili - 6 nos (Whole)
• Lemon - 1 medium sized
• Red Chili powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
• Oil - 250ml
• Curd or yogurt - 1 to 1 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Bay leaves (Biryani leaf) - 1
• Cinnamon (Patta) - 6 nos
• Cloves (Lavang) - 8 nos
• Cardamom (Elaichi) - 4 nos
• Salt - 3 tablespoons (Powdered) or 2 handful (rock salt)

Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time:1 1/2 hours
Servings:6-8 people

Cooking Method for Chicken Dum Biryani:
Biryani Masala or Gravy:
1. In a heavy bottomed deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat.
2. Add bay leaves, 3 cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, 6 chillies and onions.
3. Fry the onions until golden brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw pungent smell of the paste leaves.
5. Keep aside a hand full of Mint and add the rest to the pan. At this stage add the coriander as well. Fry for 5-10 minutes until you get a nice aroma.
6. Now add the chicken and mix the content of the pan thoroughly.
7. Add turmeric powder and 1 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook until it gets soft and mushy.
6. Now is the time for curd (yogurt) and chili powder.
7. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until you see some oil floating on the top.
8. At this stage remove the pan from the heat.
9. Now empty nearly 3/4 of the pan contents into a separate container and set it aside.

Rice Preparation:
1. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile take a large container with sufficient water. Bring it to boil.
3. When boiling add the remaining mint, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
4. Now drain all the water from the soaked rice and add it to the container. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon salt.
5. Cook the rice until it is 3/4 done.
6. Now take the container off the heat and drain the remaining water from the rice.

Layering the Biryani and Dum cooking
In the same pan where you had 1/4 of the biryani gravy, add a layer of cooked rice. Then add another layer of the biryani gravy (that was keep aside in a seperate container) and top it with rice. Repeat until all the rice and biryani gravy is layered. Also squeeze or add a little bit of lemon juice on every layer during the layering process.

'Dum' cooking is a traditional method of slow-cooking, normally on a bed of coal with pots over them, sealed with kneaded flour so that no heat escapes it. Sometimes coal is spread out on the pot lid to distribute heat evenly.

To get the same effect as the traditional method of dum cooking, take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid with heavy object. The idea is to make a air tight seal. Alternatively you can knead the wheat flour and use that to seal the lid to the vessel. Now put the the vessel on low heat and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.

That's it! Spicy hot Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani is now ready to be served and enjoyed.

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Pepper Chicken Recipe (Murg Kali Mirch)

Pepper Chicken (Murg Kali Mirch) is one of the most popular and tasty recipes from the world of Chettinad cuisine.

This is one of my signature dishes which my family and friends absolutely love. They just can't have enough of this recipe and always want more. This is one of the fairly simple recipes to cook requiring few ingredients and yet it is so very delicious.

Pepper Chicken Recipe Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1k.g/2.2lb
• Garlic cloves - 10-15
• Onions, chopped - 1/2 (medium sized)
• Green Chili  - 4
• Curry leaves - 25 individual leaves
• Soya Sauce - 1 1/2 tablespoon (for dark Soya Sauce) or 2 tablespoon (for light colored Soya Sauce)
• Pepper Powder - 1 or 1 1/2 tablespoon
• Lime or Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
• Ghee - 1 teaspoon
• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Turmetic powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Coriander or Cilantro for garnish

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6 people

Cooking Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee under medium heat in a deep frying pan or khadhai.
2. Add crushed garlic cloves. Saute and stir for 2 minutes
3. Add onion, green chillies (vertically sliced) and curry leaves to the mixture. Stir the ingredients for 2 more minutes
4. Then add chicken and mix the contents of the pan.
5. Now lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. Add tumeric, salt to taste and mix it thoroughly
7. Put the lid back over the pan and cook for 5 more minutes
8. Add soya sauce and wait for 2 additional minutes
9. At this moment all the liquid in the pan should have evaporated which indicates that the chicken is fully cooked.
Note: If there is some liquid left you can increase the heat a little and cook until no liquid is left.
10.When there is no liquid left in the pan add pepper powder, lemon juice and mix well.
11.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
Please follow the method for preparing this recipe exactly in the same sequence as mentioned above for great tasting pepper chicken. Happy cooking!

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