Tandoori chicken is a very prestigious chicken dish; people like it very much. It is very easy to make, and its taste wins everyone’s heart. When I used to eat it in a restaurant, I thought that I would not be able to make it, but a friend of mine, who is a chef in a hotel, told me some secrets for making it. Today, I will share those secrets with you and will teach you to make this recipe in the exact restaurant style, after eating which you will feel like making it again and again.
If you’re a big fan of chicken and want to try another chicken recipe, you might want to try Chili Chicken Ghee Roast. This is also a very popular dish and tastes amazing, so let’s make Tandoori Chicken without further ado.
About Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Chicken is not just a dish; it is a revolution that put Indian food on the world map. Tandoors have been used in Mughlai cuisine for centuries, but Tandoori Chicken, as we know it today, was first created at Moti Mahal Restaurant in Delhi. Traditionally, it is prepared by roasting. or grilling marinated chicken in a clay oven called a tandoor, hence the name Tandoori!
Ingredients for marination
Restaurant tandoori chicken is so delicious because of the special attention paid to marinating. You can also make it by following these steps. For marinating, you’ll need:
- 500 grams chicken (leg piece or thigh piece with bone)
- 1 cup yogurt (thick, fresh, homemade)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (freshly made)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (for color)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (important)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon mustard oil (most important)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- Salt to taste.
Making Tandoori Chicken
Marinate the Chicken
First, make deep cuts in the chicken pieces with a knife. These cuts will allow the spices to penetrate deeply. Now, take yogurt in a large bowl. Make sure the yogurt is very fresh; otherwise, the tandoori chicken will taste bland. Add all the spices to the yogurt and mix well. Add mustard oil. This gives the tandoori chicken the authentic smoky flavor of restaurant-style chicken. Now, add all the chicken pieces to this marinade and rub them thoroughly with your hands. Ensure that all the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. When I make it, I usually marinate it overnight because the longer you marinate it, the better the flavor will be. This is the most important step, so don’t rush it.
Second marinade
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking so that it comes to room temperature (this will ensure even cooking). Now add the mustard oil. This oil gives tandoori chicken its distinctive aroma and unique flavor, the one you recognize from restaurants. Also, rub the dried fenugreek leaves between your palms to make a fine powder and add it to the chicken. The fenugreek provides that magical aroma that makes your tandoori chicken so delicious.
To get a restaurant-quality taste, bake it in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
- Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces on the rack. The logic is that placing the chicken on the rack allows air to circulate around it, preventing the bottom from becoming soggy and ensuring it becomes crispy all over.
- Bake it on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Rotate the tray once halfway through the cooking time. After baking, remove the chicken and drizzle a tablespoon of hot ghee or oil over it. This adds shine and helps create crispy spots.
Here are some ways to add a smoky flavor to tandoori chicken.
- Make a small tube from a clay lamp or a small bowl from foil paper.
- Light a small piece of charcoal (using tongs over a gas flame) until it glows red.
- Place this red-hot charcoal in a small metal bowl (or a foil bowl) inside the bowl containing the tandoori chicken.
- Immediately pour 1/2 teaspoon of ghee over the charcoal. The ghee will turn into smoke.
- Immediately cover the bowl. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes. This smoke will infuse the entire chicken.
- Doing this will give your tandoori chicken an aroma that will leave you absolutely amazed.
Conclusion: So, did we achieve that restaurant-quality taste
Yes, we’ve easily and quickly made restaurant-style tandoori chicken right at home, and it tastes just like the restaurant version! We used a little smoky trick that helps enhance the flavor. I hope you found this recipe very good and easy to follow. Please try making it at home and let us know how it turned out!
