Hello again. I know it’s been a while…..
but as you may know the 3rd year at uni is a busy one. Now that I’m
free from academia I’m certainly looking forward to getting truly fascinated
with food once again.
For my returning entry I decided to venture
to India for inspiration. I love eating
Indian food and it’s about time it got a mention on the blog. I decided to try
my hand at Tandoori chicken, a much-loved British curry house favorite.
However, unlike much of the Indian cuisine we eat in the UK, Tandoori chicken actually
originates from Northern India. The dish gets its name from the oven in which
it is cooked, a ‘Tandoor’. For my version of this classic dish, a tandoor is
not used and neither is it necessary,………however it would have been bloody
great. This dish unlike other Indian dishes (curry) is great to have on a hot
day as a replacement for other BBQ classics (kebabs and hot dogs). The moist
chicken and fresh yogurty marinade makes it truly satisfying to eat. And when
it is served with a coconut naan bread and a light salad its sublime.
At this point I ought to mention that I
tried making my own naan bread, and I would be lying if I said it went well. So, no mention of naan bread in this post, but
feel free to have a go and let me know if you have better luck. Despite this
minor hiccup, the meal was delicious.
Enjoy!
Serves 4
Ingredients
Tandoori Chicken
1 kg skinless chicken thighs
½ a big pot of plain yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh peeled and crushed ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Fresh coriander to garnish
Side Salad
½ cucumber sliced into thin strips
1 large tomato sliced thinly
½ large onion sliced into strips
1 handful of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper of seasoning
½ lemon juiced
Method
1.Firstly, the marinade. As with
any marinade the longer the better. Therefore, I recommend leaving the chicken
overnight to marinade. However, if you are not that organised (like me) 6-8hrs
in the fridge is good enough.
2.Place all the ingredients into
a large bowl except for the oil and coriander. Mix well and set aside. Before placing the chicken in
the marinade make sure you score each thigh a few times to allow the marinade
to soak in.
3.Leave in the fridge…. overnight,
if possible.
4.Place a layer of foil over an
oven rack, then make a few holes to allow the chicken juices to drain.
5. Pre- heat the oven to 200
degrees C and remove from the fridge half an hour before cooking to get the
chicken to room temperature.
6.Place thighs on the rack then
brush with oil.
7.Cook for around 40mins, turning
the thighs half way through.
8.While the chicken is cooking,
slice and dress the salad and set to one side.
9. To check the chicken is cooked just slice one open and if the juices
run clear and the flesh is not pink, you are ready to go.
10.Serve with naan bread (if your daring) or rice, …. fresh coriander
and salad.
