Saturday, May 5, 2012

Grilled Tandoori Chicken


(4 servings)


Traditional tandoori chicken is typically prepared from a whole chicken which has been cut up, marinated, then baked in a very hot clay oven, a tandoor.

I end up grilling mine. I have two grills. One gas and a small tabletop grill which uses charcoal. More often than not I prefer using the smaller grill, although there are times when the gas grill is just quicker and more convenient. Today I fired up the smaller grill.

This is one of those rare occasions I'll use skinless chicken breast (rather than my favourite, chicken thighs) which I cut into bite sized pieces. The breast meat turns out juicy and tender after spending close to a day in a marinade made of whole milk yogurt, lemon juice and spices.

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
freshly squeezed juice from 1 small lemon
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne; to taste
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts

bamboo skewers (soaked in water 30 minutes before grilling)

Combine everything except the chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 1/4 inch cubes. Toss them in the yogurt mixture until they are evenly coated. Cover with wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or up to about 24 hours.

Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes before getting ready to grill.


Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill, turning frequently until they are cooked through and no longer pink in the centre; about 6-10 minutes.

Zucchini was on sale today, so I grabbed a few on impulse. It's a pretty boring vegetable in my opinion, but grilled it can be rather nice.

1-2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine the oil with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Brush the mixture onto one side of the cut up zucchini.


Place the oiled side down onto the grill and then brush the top side. Flip them over when the undersides begin to brown; about 2-3 minutes per side.


17 comments:

Sue/the view from great island said...

That marinade looks amazing, makes me want to fire up the grill!

Gerlinde in Washington said...

Thanks! I didn't get around to grilling at all last summer and now there's already a few things I'm eager to grill.

Laura said...

Sounds great, this is definitely somthing I'll be trying when we have a barbeque this summer!

Cathleen said...

This looks too good! Perfect for summer! I'm still trying to figure out what to make during the summer, but I'm thinking this will be my new addition to the list :)

Anonymous said...

This is right up my alley! We just LOVE Indian food! And it's grilling season here now. I'm in Central Texas. :)

Angie said...

I made this for Memorial Day weekend - the marinade had great flavor and kept the chicken so moist! Definitely something I'll be doing again this summer!

Gerlinde in Washington said...

I'm pleased you liked it! I think it's one of the best marinades for chicken breast.

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy. I'm Indian, but I think this would easily beat the tandoori chicken I've eaten in many restaurants here. I'm so glad you didn't use the horrid red food colour which has somehow become de rigeur here for tandoori chicken.

Anonymous said...

I don't own a grill, any way i can make this work with an oven?

Gerlinde in Washington said...

I haven't tried it, but broiling it in the oven might work. If the chicken is cut into small enough pieces, I imagine it should cook through just fine.

Carole said...

Gerlinde, thanks for bringing this over to the BBQ. Cheers

Unknown said...

This looks absolutely delish 'cause I LOVE tandoori chicken...I'm drooling all over my computer. What a great tutorial! I'm hosting a "get your grill on" link party and spice giveaway that ends tonight at 11:59 pm...I'd love to have you share this recipe because I think others would love it too!

http://www.4you-withlove.com/2013/06/party-thyme-get-your-grill-on-link.html

Marilyn

Unknown said...

This post has me craving tandoori chicken! Thanks for sharing at Party Thyme. This recipe has been pinned to my Party Thyme features board

Anonymous said...

Shield your dishes I remember about my mother's old dishes when cooking. It is delicious and nutritious, especially when it's cooked with a gas grill. It is effective. thank you

Unknown said...

Very informative and inspiring post have been posted here. I bookmarked this blog further more information about new indian recipes.last weekend i visit a Indian restaurant for dinner. it was awesome experience of tandoori chicken taste. I never forget it's taste.I am going to cook it at home.

macchoi said...

I don't have a grill. What do you think about cooking this on a frying pan with some coconut oil?

Gerlinde in Washington said...

Macchoi, At the moment I too don't have access to a grill. Recently I experimented a bit with another marinade for grilling chicken. I broiled one batch of chicken in the oven and the second batch I fried. I preferred the fried batch as it was easier for me to control the amount of cooking necessary to keep the meat from drying out.

HTH

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