Tandoori Chicken

If you are a non-veg, then you know that no Indian party meal, or an Indian website, or an Indian Blog runs without a mention of this dish, and yet it took me so long to post this recipe. Tandoori Chicken is very much famous with Non-Indians as well. At least in Boston, if you talk to someone about India, food would be the first thing that they will mention; and the most famous/favorite item is Tandoori Chicken and Samosas. I still remember my English teacher in high school who was originally from Russia would go crazy about samosas. My mom made some home-made samosas for her at my last day of school. I wonder if she still thinks samosas are the best Indian food she had ever came across. If she does, then she has to try these tandoori chicken, I bet she will go gaga over this!  

I recently made these for a dinner party that I held for a close family friend. Without a doubt these were a hit. It was also my first time cooking the entire dinner for 14 people on my own! I must tell you it was a great experience, not that I never cooked for these many people before, I have, but under mom’s supervision. This was my first time on my own and everything came out perfect. By the end of the dinner, I was quite surprised by myself, but was way too tired to figure out how the hell I was able to do all this. 

Ingredients:

1. One Chicken – cut in small pieces (at the meat shot that I regularly visit, they have standard sizes for small, regular, and BBQ pieces, I normally get the small ones).
2. One cup yogurt
3. Red chili powder – three tblsp (adjust it according to your taste)
4. Dhaniya powder – two tblsp
5. Ginger-Garlic paste – two tblsp
6. Lime juice – four tsp
7. Turmeric powder – half tblsp
8. Salt – per taste
9. Red food color (if desire)
10. Cooking oil spray

Process:

1. Mix and marinate ingredients 1 through 9.
2. Marinate it overnight, if you can. If not, then at least marinate it for 3-4 hours.
3. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Spray cooking oil on baking tray.
5. Arrange chicken pieces on the baking tray; spray another coat of cooking oil over the chicken.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken at an interval of 10 minutes, till the chicken is fully cooked.
7. Serve hot over a salad.

NOTES: alternatively, you can also deep fry the chicken. Adjust spices and baking time according to your taste and oven, respectively.

ENJOY!!!