Tandoori chicken

Nick Worley said:

Obviously having a clay oven adds a unique flavour that can't be replicated
in an electric oven (and there's nothing I can do about that), but I'm
wondering whether crushing my own spices in a pestle and mortar would help
the flavour, and also whether there is an "authentic" spice mix I could try.
I write "authentic" in quotes because I don't even know if Tandoori chicken
is an authentic Asian dish or a Westernized (or Englandized) one.
Any advice appreciated regarding the spice mix, cooking technique, etc.

It could be the spice mix you are buying. The Tandoori powder that I buy comes
in a jar, not a package,, and I get it in an asian grocery store, not a
supermarket. It has to me mixed with yoghourt, vegetable oil and lemon juice. I
skin the chicken pieces, pierce them to the bone with a sharp knife, sprinkle
with lemon juice and marinate overnight. I cook them in a very hot oven,
preferably offset in a very hot gas BBQ.

I don't know how our local Indian restaurants compare with yours, but the stuff
I make is every bit as good as I get from them.

Indian restaurants use special tandoori ovens. (made of clay, I
believe). I suspect you don't have one of those at home. It's hard to
replicate the effect of such an oven with anything else.

jake said:

Indian restaurants use special tandoori ovens. (made of clay, I
believe). I suspect you don't have one of those at home. It's hard to
replicate the effect of such an oven with anything else.

Would a clay baker help??? I've never used one though....Sharon

Nick Worley wrote on 05 Sep 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know a recipe for Tandoori chicken so that it will taste
like the stuff from Tandoori restaurants/takeaways in the UK?
I bought a sachet of Tandoori mixed spices from my local
supermarket, which I mixed with yogurt, garlic & lemon juice, and
then I marinaded the chicken in that overnight.
The next day I cooked the chicken in the oven & had it with some
basmati rice.
It tasted good, but wasn't the same as (or as good as) the stuff
from the takeaway. (Out of 10 I'd've given my version about 6 or 7,
the Real McCoy 10 -- it's one of my favourite meals).
Obviously having a clay oven adds a unique flavour that can't be
replicated in an electric oven (and there's nothing I can do about
that), but I'm wondering whether crushing my own spices in a pestle
and mortar would help the flavour, and also whether there is an
"authentic" spice mix I could try. I write "authentic" in quotes
because I don't even know if Tandoori chicken is an authentic Asian
dish or a Westernized (or Englandized) one. Any advice appreciated
regarding the spice mix, cooking technique, etc. Thanks
Nick

from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/tandooristylechicken_7235.shtml

Tandoori-Style Chicken
chicken breast, Madhur Jaffrey

by Madhur Jaffrey
from Friends for Dinner

Serves 4

Preparation time overnight

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients
1.25kg/2½lb chicken pieces (legs and/or breasts) skinned
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
For the marinade:
450ml/¾pt plain yoghurt
½ onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1-2 hot green chillies, roughly sliced
2 tsp garam masala
lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Method
1. Cut each chicken leg into two pieces and each breast into four pieces.
Make two deep slits crossways on the meaty parts of each leg and breast
piece. The slits should not start at an edge and should be deep enough to
reach the bone. Spread the chicken pieces out on two large platters.
Sprinkle one side with half the salt and half the lemon juice and rub them
in. Turn the pieces over and repeat on the second side. Set aside for 20
minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine the yoghurt, onion, garlic,
ginger, chillies and garam masala in a blender or food processor and blend
until smooth. Strain the paste through a coarse sieve into a large bowl,
pushing through as much liquid as you can.
3. Put the chicken and all its accumulated juices into the bowl with the
marinade. Rub the marinade into the slits in the meat, then cover and
refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature and
set a shelf in the top third of the oven where it is hottest. Remove the
chicken pieces from the marinade and spread them out in a single layer on a
large, shallow, baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
Lift the chicken pieces out of their juices and serve with lemon or lime
wedges.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

biig said:

jake said:

Indian restaurants use special tandoori ovens. (made of clay, I
believe). I suspect you don't have one of those at home. It's hard to
replicate the effect of such an oven with anything else.

Would a clay baker help??? I've never used one though....Sharon

I don't know, sorry. Have never used one myself.

biig wrote on 05 Sep 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

jake said:

Indian restaurants use special tandoori ovens. (made of clay, I
believe). I suspect you don't have one of those at home. It's hard to
replicate the effect of such an oven with anything else.

Would a clay baker help??? I've never used one though....Sharon

Hot,Hot oven helps.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

Nick Worley said:

Does anyone know a recipe for Tandoori chicken so that it will taste like
the stuff from Tandoori restaurants/takeaways in the UK?
I bought a sachet of Tandoori mixed spices from my local supermarket, which
I mixed with yogurt, garlic & lemon juice, and then I marinaded the chicken
in that overnight.
The next day I cooked the chicken in the oven & had it with some basmati
rice.

Try some of the tandoori powders sold in Asian/Bengali markets. They are
cheap and produce quite tasty results.

Quoted message said:

It tasted good, but wasn't the same as (or as good as) the stuff from the
takeaway. (Out of 10 I'd've given my version about 6 or 7, the Real McCoy
10 -- it's one of my favourite meals).
Obviously having a clay oven adds a unique flavour that can't be replicated
in an electric oven (and there's nothing I can do about that), but I'm
wondering whether crushing my own spices in a pestle and mortar would help
the flavour, and also whether there is an "authentic" spice mix I could try.
I write "authentic" in quotes because I don't even know if Tandoori chicken
is an authentic Asian dish or a Westernized (or Englandized) one.
Any advice appreciated regarding the spice mix, cooking technique, etc.
Thanks
Nick

Also need very high heat. Grilling might be better than baking.
You could also ask the takeaway for their brand of powder; they might
even tell you!