Tandoori Chicken without a Tandoor
You can make this delicious and affordable Indian restaurant classic at home
Indian Restaurant at Home and even in Sicily!
I suppose you are wondering why I am posting an Indian recipe when I am still in Sicily?
On my 9 day Sicily experiences I host a closing night dinner party where I cook a casual family style meal for my guests in my apartment in the city center. It is a heartwarming night where we share testimonials, photos and hugs and say Arrivederci, Palermo!
After 8 days of indulging in beautiful Sicilian food, from Michelin level plates to Nonna’s farmhouse cooking, I decided that for the closing dinner, I would cook anything but Sicilian food! I have done Gumbo, Caribbean, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, Moroccan, America country style chicken dinner and more. I shop in the Capo market to gather the best ingredients and pull together a menu the day of the dinner. The Capo market is brimming with fresh produce, fish, cheeses, meat and spices that Sicilians cherish in their exclusively local cooking.
However, the first time I needed an ingredient that didn’t have a home in the Sicilian arsenal, like cilantro, habaneros, or okra for example, I discovered the Bangla markets. In the late 90’s after the horrific flooding and cyclones in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Sicily welcomed thousands of refugees from that region who now call Sicily home. They speak their native language, Italian and even a little English.
I have made friends with a Bangla shop owner in the lower Capo named Ati who looks forward assisting this wacky American chef (me) to procure the ingredients to prepare my Signature New World Dishes. It is so much fun shopping here!
So here is the recipe
Yes, you can..Tandoori Chicken at home!
Tandoori chicken is America's favorite Indian restaurant dish, unlike the UK which loves Chicken Tikka Masala more. Making it at home simply requires a cast iron skillet and a hot oven to replicate a tandoor with pretty damned good results. The two secrets are...the proper marinade and a very hot oven.
Most restaurants use red food coloring here, but paprika will work just fine. See the recipe.
Scroll below for recipes for
Onion Chutney
Green Chutney
Raita
Tandoori Chicken at home
Serves 4
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in half
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
one inch knob of ginger, peeled
1 tbls salt
1 tbls garam masala*
1 tbls sweet paprika
Juice of two lemons
1 cup plain yogurt, not Greek.
For cooking
1 small onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 lemon, sliced into thin wheels
In a food processor with the machine running drop the ginger down the shoot. Let it bounce around and get chopped up good.
Add the onions, garlic, salt and spices.
Scrape down the sides, add the lemon juice and yogurt and whizz until smooth.
Coat the chicken well with this and put in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to three days.
TO COOK
Preheat oven to highest heat or at least 500f.
Place a dry cast iron or oven-proof skillet on a burner at full blast and let it get very hot.
Now, working quickly, sprinkle the pan with the sliced peppers, onions and lemon slices.
Place the chicken on top of that, not overlapping, and get it into the oven.
Cook at 500F for a roughly 20 minutes. This may very depending upon the size of your chicken pieces, obviously.
Check for doneness by poking the thickest piece with a skewer. If the juices run clear, it is done.
If not give it 5 more minutes and check again.
When the juices run clear, remove the pan from the oven and cover loosely with foil and allow the chicken to rest about 5 minutes before eating!
Yum-O-Rama!
"Green" or Cilantro-Mint Chutney
This stuff is great on crackers and flatbreads, awesome with lentil and beans dishes, braised lamb, and grilled meats and fish too. The yogurt chutney below is AMAZING on sandwiches!
Ingredients
I bunch of mint, roughly chopped with the smaller stems (yield about a cup and a half)
1 small bunch of cilantro chopped end to end, stems included (yield about a cup)
1 clove garlic
1 small knob ginger, grated, about 2 tablespoons
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed and chopped ( ribs and seeds or no? your call-you may substitute a pinch of cayenne to taste)
1 tsp salt dissolved in 1 oz water
juice of two lemons
2 tbls mild vegetable oil
Put everything in a blender and puree until smooth
That's it!
TIP: It will only stay green for a day or so as the lemon juice eventually washes out the color f the herbs. I use it fresh the day I make it, then I whisk the remains into plain yogurt (or coconut yogurt). The yogurt chutney is AMAZING and lasts for uo to three weeks in the refrigerator.
Onion Chutney
When you dine at most Indian restaurants in America, you are offered complimentary dips and papadam wafers, like the bread and butter thing at many American restaurants.
The "Red" onion chutney served in most inexpensive Northern style Indian restaurants is most often laced with food coloring. That is soooooo not necessary.
Here is the recipes for onion chutney that can easily be made at home in a few minutes with no special ingredients.
This is soo easy, you'll definitely add it to your repertoire.
Makes about 1 cup
1 large Spanish or white onions
2 tbls paprika
1 tsp cayenne or to taste
2 finger pinch of salt
juice of two lemons
Dice the onions very small, or pulse in a food processor. You want some texture here so don't make onion mush.
Stir in the spices, salt and lemon juice and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so to let the lemon juice sort of "cook" the onions, softening their raw flavor.
Store refrigerated, it lasts a long time.
Serve as a condiment with rice dishes, stews and curries but...
ALSO try it as a topping for burgers and veggies burgers, hot dogs and anything else you put ion a bun.
Variations: Adding some small diced pineapple makes this a great condiment for grilled shrimp or salmon.
Raita
Raita is the deliciously tangy yogurt based condiment served at many Indian meals,It helps with digestion and to cool the heat of the spices. You can certainly play around with this recipe.
1 cup plain yogurt, unstrained
Juice if one lemon
About ¼ cup grated, peeled cucumber
A small tomato, diced
A spring of mint, chopped. Pinch of salt
2 tbls cumin seeds, toasted until dark brown
Fold it all together.
Store chilled
Visit my youtube channel playlist Recipe, Please for videos of the dish and the condiments that do with it.
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