OVEN BAKED TANDOORI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• 1½ cups plain yoghurt (full fat is best)
• 2 tbsp oil (any)
• ½ onion (brown, yellow, white)
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ginger, grated
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tsp garam masala spice mix (Note 1)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2½ tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp paprika (preferably smoked)
• ¾ - 1¼ tsp salt
• Black pepper
• Few drops red food colouring (optional) (Note 2)

Chicken

• 8 chicken drumsticks (about 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb)
• Oil spray

Mint Yoghurt (optional)

• ¾ cup plain yoghurt
• 2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all the Marinade ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. (Note 3) Pour into a ziplock bag with the chicken and marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a tray with foil and place a rack on the tray.
3. Remove chicken from the Marinade (reserve Marinade) and place on the rack. Bake for 20 minutes, then slather on Marinade (very generously), turn the chicken and slather Marinade on the other side.
4. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
5. Remove chicken from the oven, slather on Marinade, turn the chicken and slather on more Marinade and SPRAY WITH OIL. Bake for a final 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with Mint Yoghurt. Optional: Garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves and serve with lemon wedges.

Mint Yoghurt:

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix.

NOTES

1. Garam Masala is an Indian spice mix that you can purchase in dried herbs and spices section of supermarkets. It costs the same as other spices. The spices in it include: cardamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

2. The red colour in the marinade comes from the cayenne pepper and paprika. It's is quite red, but not quite the same red as what you typically get in restaurants. If you want to make it redder, just add a few drops of red food colouring.

3. The alternative to using a food processor is to grate the onion as finely as possible and mix with the other ingredients. The crust won't look as smooth as there will be little lumps of onion but the flavour is the same, I've made it this way plenty of times.

4. You can make this with any chicken cut you want. Drumsticks take a total of 40 to 45 minutes, boneless thighs will take around 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size), bone in thighs around 45 minutes, and chicken breast 20 to 30 minutes (depends on size).

5. You can also make this on the grill. You will get much more charcoal on it, it's so good! Cook it on the grill side, not flat iron side. 

6. You can freeze the chicken with the marinade (raw). Then when you want to cook it, allow it to defrost then simply follow the recipe.

7. If you don' have time to marinade overnight, I recommend cutting 2 or 3 shallow slashes on each drumstick to help the marinade infuse into the flesh faster.