Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

chicken leg pieces- 6 (Wash and drain the chicken pieces..and give deep incisions/gushes on each piece)..

1 tea spoon of vinegar

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

salt as per taste

1/2 cup thick hung curd (sieve normal curd in a muslin cloth for an hour..water drains..remaining curd in cloth is hung curd )

5 teaspoons of gingergarlic paste

pepper powder ¼ tea spoon

cumin powder ½ tea spoon

2 teaspoon of dhania powder

1 teaspoon kashmiri chilly powder (this is used for natural red colour ...if you don't hv this, use 2 more spoons of normal chilli powder )

1 teaspoon red chilly powder

2 tablespoon hot and sweet tomato sauce (tomato ketch up can also b used )

2 tablespoon soya sauce..

1/2 lime juice 2 teaspoons butter (optional)

3 tablespoons tandoori chicken masala

Preparation Method :-

1) Wash and drain the chicken pieces..and give deep incisions/gushes on each piece)..

2) Then in a bowl add vinegar , turmeric powder , salt & lime juice ..apply this mixture to chicken pieces thoroughly and let it rest for half an hour

3) In another vessel add hung curd, ginergarlic paste,salt,pepper ,cumin powder,dhania powder, kashmiri chilly powder, red chilly powder, tomato sauce , soya sauce, butter ,tandoori chicken masala..mix all the ingredients well

4) Add chicken pieces to this vessel and mix it well and marinate it for minimum 6 hours

5) The more you marinate the better the results..I marinated it for around 20 hours..refirgerated it...remove it 2 hours before you cook

6) Then add red food colour if you want it in thick red just sometime before keeping it for being cooked

7)Tandoor the pieces prefarably on a gas tandoor..keep brushing the pieces with butter so that it does not turn dry!!!! Your Lip Smacking Tandoori is ready to be served!!!!

8) If you are using a microwave grill ...arrange pieces on the upper rack ..cook in microwave + grill combination button for 10 minutes ..then flip all pieces & in d same combination cook for 7 minutes..now flip pieces choose for only grill mode for 3 minutes for drying ... again flip pieces only grill mode for 2 minutes ..should not prefer grill mode fr more time ....pieces may get burnt and turn hard.. while grilling extra fat will come out of the piece & fall on d turner plate.. wipe out that with a tissue or kitchen cloth...

This process may seem tedious...but I bet you will be happy at the end..the taste will be heavenly... you will get appreciation from your family.. Wish you Happy Cooking !!  

- Raja Kumari Akunuru