Hot off the Tandoor...

Tandoori Chicken is to Indian cuisine what Jerk is to Jamaican, Tacos are to Mexican and Pasta is to Italians. Despite its humble origins, it has become the uncontested favorite in a cuisine that is vast as well as diverse. The founder of one of Delhi’s oldest and most famous restaurants Moti Mahal lays claim to its original recipe. It all began when he roasted a chicken over wood and charcoal in a hole in the ground. A modern Tandoor is a cylindrical oven made of clay reaching temperatures up to 900° F. Tandoori Roti, which is a type of baked flat bread is commonly cooked alongside the Tandoori and usually served with it.
It is inevitable that anyone who has eaten Indian food has tried the Tandoori Chicken at some point. A well made Tandoori is tender and moist on the inside and crisp on the outside, with an aroma of spices and a distinctly smoky flavor. An attempt to replicate the recipe in a regular gas oven will not have the same results but an open grill works well. It is the brick red color of the Tandoori that makes it easily identifiable and in a strange way makes it so much more appetizing. I tried the same recipe without the color and it didn't turn out quite the same, proving that we do "eat with our eyes first".

Recipe for Tandoori Chicken:

1 chicken cut into large sections

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder

pinch of red food color

1 tablespoon oil or melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon Chaat Masala

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Rub it all over with the salt and lemon juice and set aside for 1/2 an hour. Combine the remaining ingredients and rub the chicken with it. Marinate the chicken for a few hours at least or preferably overnight. Grill over an open flame, basting with any left over marinade. Serve hot brushed lightly with melted butter and sprinkled with chaat masala.

A word of caution when using red food color- Buy it at the Indian grocery store. Do not use food color intended for cookies or you may end up with a psychedelic pink Tandoori Chicken!