Recipes :  How to make yummy tandoori chicken

If you're a foodie in Nairobi with a loyalty to chicken then you've probably passed through Diamond Plaza for their Tandoori.

 It's delish! 

Just the presentation of the meal,  the yellowish coloring of the chicken will have you salivating.  One of the most common sentences that accompany the very many compliments that awarded by their patrons is, “how do you prepare the chicken?”

If this is news to you then congratulations, your life is about to change. Take a trip down Parklands and find this underrated paradise and find out what you’re missing, then try out this recipe for a homemade version of this sumptuous indian meal.

Ingredients

8 large Chicken pieces with skin (2 pieces breast, 2 pieces of thighs, a couple of wings)

Oil, to baste

For the marinade:

1. 4 tsp red chilli paste
2. 3 Tbsp ginger and garlic paste
3. 2 tsp chaat masala
4. 1 1/2 tsp of the masala
5. 1 Tbsp oil
6. 3 Tbsp curd
7. Salt, to taste
8. Juice of 1/2 lemon
9. For the tandoori masala:
10. 2 sticks cinnamon
11. 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
12. 5 green cardamom
13. 3 brown cardamom
14. 2 tsp coriander seeds
15. 2 tsp cumin seeds
16. 3 cloves
17. 1 bay leaf
18. 3/4 tsp turmeric

play When preparing any type of meat, the secret is in marination. (Courtesy)

Instructions

1. Make small gashes in the chicken pieces for the marinade to coat it nicely. 
2. In a bowl add ginger and garlic paste, red chilli paste, chaat masala, tandoori masala, oil, curd, salt and lemon juice. Mix it well. 
3. Rub the marinade on the chicken pieces, over the skin and underneath it.
4. Marinate the chicken pieces for 30 minutes. 
5. Char grill the chicken pieces on a griller or tandoor.
6. Baste with oil at regular intervals.
7. For the tandoori masala:
8.  In a pan dry roast cinnamon, peppercorns, green cardamom, brown cardamom, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaf and turmeric powder.
9.  In a mortar and pestle grind the dry roasted spices into a fine powder. 

play Add a lemon or lime to your meal for added deliciousness. (Courtesy)

Tips:

•  To make sure the chicken does not stick to the grill, glaze the grill with some oil.
• If you are making it in an oven, the temperature needs to be around 250-300 degrees C.