Tandoori-style chicken

Name: Tandoori-style chicken
Yield: Makes 8 pieces
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: For the chicken; 8 skinless chicken thighs, legs, or both; a slice of unsalted butter, melted; a little paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp chaat masala; 1 tsp ground fenugreek; For the marinade; 2½ tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve; 1 rounded tsp salt; 120g full-fat plain yogurt; 4 large garlic cloves; 1 Indian green finger chilli, deseeded (optional); 1 tbsp roughly chopped root ginger (peeled weight); 1½–2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, or paprika (for colour); 1 rounded tsp ground cumin; 1 rounded tsp garam masala (fresh if possible); 2 tbsp vegetable oil; For the minted yogurt chutney; small handful of mint leaves, chopped; handufl of coriander leaves and stalks, chopped; ½–1 Indian green finger chilli, stalk removed; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste; 150g plain yogurt; 1⁄3 tsp roast and ground cumin seeds; salt

Published: 19 Apr 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Anjum Anand’s Tandoori-style chicken recipe is incredibly easy to make and even easier to devour. The only trick is to ensure you marinate the chicken for a few hours at the very least. This flavoursome recipe is great for barbecues.

Makes 8 pieces
Hands-on time 20 minutes, oven-time 30 minutes, plus marinating and resting

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Ingredients

For the chicken

8 skinless chicken thighs, legs, or both
a slice of unsalted butter, melted
a little paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp ground fenugreek

For the marinade

2½ tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve
1 rounded tsp salt
120g full-fat plain yogurt
4 large garlic cloves
1 Indian green finger chilli, deseeded (optional)
1 tbsp roughly chopped root ginger (peeled weight)
1½–2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, or paprika (for colour)
1 rounded tsp ground cumin
1 rounded tsp garam masala (fresh if possible)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the minted yogurt chutney

small handful of mint leaves, chopped
handufl of coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
½–1 Indian green finger chilli, stalk removed
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
150g plain yogurt
1⁄3 tsp roast and ground cumin seeds
salt

Method

Slash each piece of chicken 3 times down to the bone at the thickest parts of the flesh. Place in a bowl and marinate in about half the lemon juice and half the salt for 30 minutes if possible.
Blend together all the ingredients for the marinade (except the lemon wedges) until smooth (add the extra lemon and salt if you didn’t marinate it as above). Add to the chicken and leave to marinate for as long as possible – preferably overnight, covered in the fridge – but at least for 3–4 hours.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes or so before cooking.
Preheat the barbecue to a medium-high heat, or preheat your oven grill to a fan-assisted high setting and line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the chicken on the barbecue and cook, turning often and moving around to prevent burning and hot spots, until charred and cooked through, 20–22 minutes, turning often. Or place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet under the grill, and grill until charred on both sides and cooked through; it should take the same amount of time. If it is cooked but not very brown, move closer to the grill bars for a few minutes at the end of cooking time.
To make the chutney blend everything together until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Baste with the butter – mixed with the paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder, if you like – sprinkle over the chaat masala and ground fenugreek, and serve with lemon wedges and the yogurt chutney.

Recipe from I Love India by Anjum Anand (Quadrille £20). Photography by Martin Poole.

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Tandoori-style chicken

Ingredients

Method

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