Tandoori Chicken in the Oven

Tandoori Chicken in the Oven 

I have till date avoided making kebabs because I do not own a charcoal grill and while my oven makes delicious grilled chicken I somehow cannot fathom the idea of kebabs without the smoky taste. In the past I have tried using the method where you take a piece of charcoal and heat it up and then put that in a bowl add a few drops of oil or clarified butter and put this with the food you want to smoke covering it. Well to be fair that is nowhere close to a charcoal grill.

Anyway its wonderful to have friends who know exactly what would make you happy and so when Pritha who blogs from Guilt Free gifted me the book , 'On the Butter Chicken Trail' by Monish Gujral from the house of 'Moti Mahal Deluxe' the very restaurant which has supposedly created butter chicken I was ready with my ladle , spoon and spices.

Anyway point is I am quite neurotic when it comes to spice blends. I make my own and do not recall having ever bought garam masala or spcie mix for any dish ever. Sowhen I saw the recipe for Tandoori masala it somehow clicked and then I saw the recipe for Tandoori chicken and I must say that I immediately wanted to make it.

I had all the ingredients at home and so there I was dry roasting the spices so Tandoori chicken to be cooked the next day. Not just that I do not use colour in food on principle and since the recipe did not use any food colour that was just an added excitement for me.

Now I did have to adjust the oven time quite a bit since the original recipe calls for a clay tandoor and even though the book has a method given for oven having made grilled chicken a lot of times the time given seemed way too little and so I adjusted the time and in the end it was juicy succulent spicy tandoori which I made 3 times in the span of a week and I have to say this recipe is for keeps. I did cut down the recipe for tandoori masala quite a bit and even then I have a small jar full of tandoori masala.

The Tandoori garam masala

50gm cumin seeds
50gm coriander seeds
15gm rose petals
8gm mace
8gm cinnamon
10gm black pepper powder
1 tsp green cardamom
2 whole black cardamom
1.5 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Dry roast all the spices on low heat making sure it doesn't burn and then cool and grind to a fine powder. Store in an air-tight jar.

Recipe adapted from On the Butter Chicken Trail

For the tandoori chicken

Serves 4

800gm whole skinless chicken

For the first marination

1.5 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

For the second marination :-

200gm curd made into hung curd
2.1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
1 heaped tsp tandoori garam masala
3/4th tsp kasoori methi

Melted butter or Clarified butter or mustard oil for basting

Joint the chicken making 4 pieces. Two legs + thigh and cut the breast in half  bone in . Wash , pat dry make 3 deep slits on the breasts and 2 slits on each side of the legs and 3 little cuts at the joint of the leg. Marinate with the ingredients mentioned in the list of ingredients for first marination and let the chicken marinate for 1 hour. In the meantime make hung curd from the 200gm curd by tying it up in a muslin cloth and removing the watery bit.

For your second marination marinate the chicken and leave it aside for 3 hours. In the original recipe a bit of rock salt is added but I hadn't used it for the second marination.

Preheat oven to 180C in grill mode heating both the rods .

While the oven gets preheated boil some water. Once the oven is preheated place the rack on which you are grilling the meat on the top most part of the oven and place a tray beneath is with a bowl of water on the tray. This creates steam and ensures that your chicken is thoroughly cooked. Grill for 10 minutes turning the chicken midway and then take the bowl out and increase the temperature to 230C and grill for another 15 minutes basting with the clarified butter or melted butter or mustard oil every 8 minutes and turning the chicken.

If you want a smoky flavour just heat a piece of coal and place it in a bowl , add a few drops of clarified butter or mustard oil or melted butter and put it on the tray for the last five minutes of grilling.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then serve juicy succulent delicious chicken. What I loved was how juicy and moist the chicken breast was since chicken breast is notorious for turning out too dry if overcooked.

Spatchcock 'Gondhoraj' Chicken

Spatchcock 'Gondhoraj' Chicken 

I love chicken roasts for many reasons but my favourite reason is the crisp chicken skin and the soft meat. Of course it is given that I am talking about the legs here. The biggest problem with chicken is cooking its breasts. After numerous and I really mean numerous errors and trials I finally know how to poach a chicken breast keeping it juicy moist and delicious. When it comes to grilling I still haven't mastered the technique where the breast meat stays ultra juicy other than when flattened completely which I believe leads to soft juicy chicken alright but alters the texture a bit.

When it comes to whole roasts or grills you don't have the option but to use the entire chicken. Problem is the breasts again.

Well while each family member demands the legs or wings someone has to eat the breasts. The easiest way to ensure that the breasts stay somewhat juicy is to of course truss the chicken and as is always extremely important and I cannot stress on it enough , resting the chicken breast side up is again very very very useful.

The only roasted chicken where the breasts stayed ultra juicy was when I used Jamie Oliver's Milk roast chicken : Milk Roasted chicken where the chicken is roasted submerged in milk and before that it is seared in hot oil and butter but then I am always looking for a variety of techniques.

Spatchcock chicken is one such technique which had caught my fancy.

Here is a video which had helped me spatchcock my chicken : How to Spatchcock Chicken

Now I seldom use flavours on my own without using a recipe as a base for my dishes but this time I tried it with a few local ingredients and boy was this one of the best flavours for grilled chicken that I have had. I used a particular type of lime we get here in Bengal called 'Gondhoraj Lebu' which is mostly used for its aroma and it added a delightful flavour indeed.

Basically spatchocking it makes it easy to grill and gives it a lovely crispy exterior. I used the oven for grilling. It had a beautiful flavour and a delightful crispy exterior.

So here goes the recipe :

Serves 3 to 4

1 whole chicken with skin 1.3 kilogram to 1.5 kilogram

Zest from 1 lime (use the local one available) I used 'gondhoraj lebu'
2 heaped tsp hot sauce (This is one I make at home with equal amounts of garlic and dried red chili and enough apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar to make a smooth paste)
2 tbsp Olive Oil (Again I took full advantage of the oppressive summers of India and sun dried kilos of tomato and stored them in extra virgin olive oil and used 2 tbsp of that oil for extra flavour)
Salt as per taste (I needed around 1 tbsp)

Clean, wash dry and then Spatchcock the chicken . Rub the chicken with salt making sure you massage it under the wings and everywhere and then massage it with the oil. Add the zest from the lime and then the chili garlic paste . At this point if your skin is very sensitive or the thought of your hands burning for a while puts you off use disposable gloves.

Let the chicken marinate for a good 4 hours or more and then put it on a rack and preheat oven using grill mode and then grill the chicken for 40 minutes or so till the skin is browned well.

I would suggest using a grilling tray or an iron skillet.

Remember to turn it after 10 minutes and turn it back after 20 minutes of grilling. Keep basting with  the marinate every 7 minutes or so.

Its every bit juicy and succulent but remember to definitely let it rest for a good 20 minutes after its cooked.

I used a grilling tray for grilling which had some dripping left over and I used a bit of warm water to collect the delightful juices and it made an amazing jus to go with my roast.

 In case you are reheating the chicken put it in the microwave for a mere 2 minutes and you must let it rest for a good 16 minutes or more else the chicken breast will be dry chewy and disgusting

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken 

One of the only diets which help me loose weight and stay fit is a high on protein with raw salad and fruit diet. Naturally I look out for recipes for grilled chicken or poached meat and poultry.

Now what I have realized is that flavours are very much subjective. You like ginger I like garlic you do not like thyme I love thyme etc etc. So unless you are recreating a classic recipe the flavour is your playground but the techniques are what matters the most.

I have previously posted about chicken breasts which are pretty hard to work with but once you know the right technique it can be juicy and moist.

Balsamic Honey Grilled Chicken

Balsamic Honey Grilled Chicken 

So this is what happened I had a good amount of balsamic dressing which was a leftover from Lunch and so I marinated a few pieces of chicken in the dressing grilled it and had this delightful sweet and sour grilled chicken.

Its easy

Take 1 leg + thigh minus the skin of a chicken

For the marinate

1 tsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp paprika

Just marinate and grill till the juices run clear. Don't forget to turn the chicken midway through grilling

Tip

Place a steel tray beneath the rack on the chicken is beign grilled so that the juices fall on it . You can brush the chicken when you turn them with this and later soak a bread or chapati so that you get the awesome flavour.

Lemon Garlic Chili Grilled Chicken

Lemon Garlic Chili Grilled Chicken 

Truth is I love having grilled chicken. Out of the many reasons the two most important ones are well, the first is obvious I love the taste of grilled chicken but the other one is simple. Grilled chicken means minimum work in the kitchen and it comes especially handy when I am working on a project. So I feel grilled chicken is the freelancers saviour. 

To be fair I knew exactly how I wanted my chicken to taste and threw in the most basic ingredients but boy oh boy was I in for the most delicious surprise ever. As I have already mentioned I love grilled chicken and so I have quite obviously tried numerous marinates and so when this most basic marinate yielded one of the best grilled chicken ever it just made a very ordinary day extraordinarily beautiful.

Here is a simple recipe which serves 2 to 3

400gm to 450gm of chicken with bone (Preferably the thigh and leg , wings with bone)
3 large cloves of garlic or 5 to 6 medium sized ones
1 tbsp chili flakes
Salt as per taste (I required about 1.5 tsp)
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Simply make a marinate by blending all the mentioned ingredients except the chicken and marinate the washed and dried  pieces of chicken for 2 hours and then grill . I use a convection oven and it took me 15 minutes on one side and about 10 minutes on the other. pair it with a salad of your choice or you may even make a delicious grilled chicken sandwich.

Tips

1. If you are using small cloves of garlic it is often difficult to peel them quickly. In that case soak them in water for 15 minutes and you shall be able to peel them quickly 
2. Keep a tray at the bottom of the rack on which you are grilling so that those juices fall on the tray. This way your oven stays clean and you can use a piece of bread to soak up the juice for an amazing treat. 

Chili pepper grilled chicken

Chili Pepper Grilled Chicken 

As a rule I always stock my refrigerator with a few regular items the day before I start preparing for a dinner party or lunch party to be thrown because in the days after the party one does feel tired to their very bone and then if you do not have ingredients for a healthy meal one usually has the tendency to reach out for the most unhealthy food items the worst of which is home delivered food from restaurants. This time I had successfully baked an American cheesecake , a pizza from scratch and two types of pasta which were and the next day I was hardly able to get out of bed. I half slept and half dozed the entire day but come evening and I was very hungry and I thanked the good lord for having stocked the dark portion of chicken in my refrigerator. In this case the dark portion means the leg and thigh of a chicken minus the skin because well does one really need the skin to add extra calories? Well sometimes you simply throw things in and what you create marvels you and thankfully this was one such day where I had some big chili peppers which were de-seeded , had some sour cream substitute  , some olive oil, fresh oregano, a couple of other ingredients and it truly was delicious. I am thereby sharing my chili pepper grilled chicken.

Serves 1

1 chicken leg + thigh
2 large chili peppers de-seeded
2 large cloves of garlic or 4 medium sized cloves of garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp sour cream or sour cream substitute made from beforehand by adding 1 tbsp vinegar per cup of heavy cream and letting it thicken for over 24 hours to 48 hours in a warm place and then chilling it.
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as per taste
5 to 6 black peppercorns
1/4th tsp brown sugar

Simply make sure your chicken has been thoroughly defrosted and make slits all across the chicken for better penetration of the marination and then give it a good massage with salt and 2 tsp sour cream. Now take the rest of the ingredients and make a smooth blend and then marinate the chicken with this paste for 2 hours and then grill it well on both sides.

You shall not regret making this delicious grilled chicken

Olive mint grilled chicken

Olive Mint grilled chicken 

The truth is that with the approaching summers my love for mint usually  wakes up and I keep buying bunches of fresh mint leaves and on a particularly hot summer night I was thinking of ways to use mint and chicken without having to take the usual paste of coriander mint and other Indian spices for grilling when I luckily remembered a jar of Pimiento stuffed olives which I have bought very recently. Now I usually do not venture into the zone of creating recipes without a mother recipe to take my cue from but this time my internet was not working and I had the opportunity to let my imagination flow. A quick gathering of ingredients and pounding later I was amazed and why not when the ingredients are all magical. Overnight marination later I was happily enjoying this amazing grilled chicken and decided it had to be shared with the world. The truth is I loved the idea of a recipe which combined olives and mint and so here I have Olive mint grilled chicken

Serves 2

Here is what I used :-

2 leg + thigh of chicken
1/4th  cup of fresh mint leaves
3 to 4 big cloves of garlic
7 pimiento stuffed green olives
15 peppercorns
Half tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme

Start by crushing the garlic with the mortar and pestle and add the mint leaves and then the black peppercorns, olives , thyme  and then slowly add the oil till you get a smooth paste. Add the paprika and salt and pound well to get an even mixture.

The marination

Marinate the 2 legs + thigh overnight and then simply grill and serve with a refreshing salad. I used some Mint tomato salad with this grilled chicken. Sink your teeth in this melt in the mouth chicken with the delightful flavours of olive and mint.

Mint grilled chicken

Mint grilled chicken 

The only truth with maintaining a healthy diet is to not only know what portions to eat but planning a bit further ahead of time. Take my current project. I have been drowning in work from the past 7 days but working without eating is a sure-shot recipe for disaster. I mean here is what happens if you do not have a well stocked refrigerator,, (what I mean is filled with vegetables, fruits, lean meat, nuts, herbs etc etc) You are anyways cramped for time and ultimately you reach out for take-out food or something which is as unhealthy as buttered white bread . To be fair a dark portion of chicken is all the protein you should be having in one single day. Here is information from the American Heart Organization to give you a fair idea of portions  So I do not need to blabber on about the benefits of lean meat and fish over red meat . So for this recipe you need over-night marination for best results.

What you basically need is :-

1 dark portion of chicken
1 stalk of mint leaves plucked and ground into a  paste with water
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt as per taste
Half a tsp freshly ground black pepper

Simply marinate over-night and grill the next day for brunch or lunch or you could leave it for marination if you work from outside home and enjoy a hearty healthy dinner with some fresh side salad .

Herb grilled chicken legs

So you are on the right road to healthy "you". You are stocked and locked and you realize you are caving juicy and succulent on the inside with that smoky grilled taste on the outside chicken with a hint of herb so you head straight for the home dried basil . Well when you make purchases at a wholesale market you often get a bunch of basil leaves which is way too much and would probably be required if only you were feeding a village. You throw in a few ingredients and oohh 2 hours of marination. Proper grilling on both sides, a side salad and a delicious dinner.

What was used

3 chicken legs + 1 extra piece of medium sized chicken
Salt as per taste
2 tablespoonful of  olive oil need not be extra virgin
Freshly ground pepper as per taste
1 heaped tablespoonful of dried basil + dried dill
4 to 5 medium sized garlic cloves (medium by Indian standard) which would mean 1 to 2 fat sized garlic cloves grated
Pinch of chili flakes or cayenne pepper

Start by making slits on each side of the chicken
Start by rubbing it well with salt and oil , pepper , chili flakes and the herbs. try and stuff the grated garlic in the slit pockets and let it get marinated for 2 hours to 3 hours. Grill both sides well as desired. Some like the taste of extra grilled chicken, some prefer it lightly grilled. I personally love the smoky flavour but not when it is too smoky.

Toss up a salad and enjoy a healthy meal.
You can try this Orange Carrot celery salad