Tandoori Chicken Recipe - How to Make Tandoori Chicken at Home?

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Traditional old fashioned Tandoor used in Northern India (Image shows - Naan, which is traditional Indian bread, being prepared along with chicken).

July 18, 2019 Admin 5 mins. Lifestyle
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Tandoori Chicken Recipe - How to Make Tandoori Chicken at Home?

Introduction

The tandoori chicken recipe is one of the most popular recipes, as far as recipe options for nonvegetarian starters in Indian cuisine is concerned. This grilled chicken preparation with its typical color and smoky flavor has also found popularity outside the shores of India. Served along with tomato sauce and cold drinks, this can be served as snacks for small get-togethers or be offered as starter dish (sometimes also as a side dish) for a formal lunch or dinner occasion.

 

This delicious and grilled, juicy and delicious chicken is also known in the Indian subcontinent as “Murgh Tandoori or Tandoori Murgh”. Here it would be important to mention that, Murgh in northern India means chicken and Tandoori describes the clay oven used in northern India and Pakistan. Thanks to the popularity of Murgh Tandoori or Tandoori Murgh, which has spread to distant parts of the Indian subcontinent and also to international shores, it is now globally known as Tandoori Chicken.

 

History of Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken has become synonymous with Indian food, especially for Indian diaspora living in distant places like – the USA and Europe. The reason for this popularity is not difficult to understand when we observe the fact that – Tandoori Chicken recipe existed in some form, from the time of Harappan Civilization or Indus Valley Civilization that existed almost 5000 years back. This claim has been made by some archaeologist team, which has excavated ancient ovens in the above-mentioned archaeological site, which closely resembles tandoor (clay oven used in Punjab province of northern India & Pakistan). Corroborative findings in the form of remains of chicken bones with the burnt blackened surface have also been found.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Traditional old fashioned Tandoor used in Northern India (Image shows - Naan, which is traditional Indian bread, being prepared along with chicken).

The modern version of Tandoori Chicken Recipe Oven preparation originated in Punjab province of British ruled India. In the 1940s, the dish was popularised by restaurateurs of the time. After independence and partition of the country, Tandoori Chicken recipe spread in distant parts of both India and Pakistan. With the increase of Indian diaspora in the United States, Tandoori Chicken Recipe - Easy to prepare even at home started figuring in various famous American media outlets.

 

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Ingredients for Preparing Tandoori Chicken

1) Chicken – 500 gm

2) Curd - 1/4th cup

3) Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon

4) Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon

5) Onion paste – 2 teaspoons

6) Salt – 1 teaspoon

7) Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

8) Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

9) Food color – Small pinch

10) Vinegar – 1 tablespoon

11) Garam Masala Powder (condiments) – 1 teaspoon

12) Lemon – 1 (for obtaining juice)

13) White edible oil – 1 tablespoon (for grilling purpose)

Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken Recipe.
Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken Recipe.

How to Make Tandoori Chicken?

     Tandoori Chicken Recipe in Oven Preparation (In Tandoor)

  • The chicken pieces are washed thoroughly 2 to 3 times with plain water and kept on a sieving plate so that all the extra water is drained out from the chicken.

 

  • The curd is put on a fine piece of clean cloth (preferably muslin cloth) and a loose sack is prepared thereby, which is allowed to hang from a high level, till all water from the curd is drained.

 

  • The remaining curd which is present in the cloth is now transferred to a pan (after applying pressure by hand, to remove any remaining water). This curd is now known as – Hung Curd.
Hung Curd.
Hung Curd.
  • Now all the ingredients except chicken are mixed with the curd to make a smooth paste.

 

  • The chicken is marinated nicely with this paste and kept for 6 hours, covered by a lid. Marinating should be even on both sides. 
Chicken just before introducing in Tandoor.
Chicken just before introducing in Tandoor.
  • After 6 hours the chicken pieces are put on Tandoor. Oil is applied on all sides on a regular interval and cooking continued for 15 minutes or more, till the chicken preparation gets tender.

 

  • Now chicken tandoori is ready for consumption along with onion rings or tomato sauce.
Tandoori Chicken - The Final Dish
Tandoori Chicken - The Final Dish

                                                            Tandoori Chicken Recipe without Oven Preparation

 

  • The people who do not have Tandoor (oven) can also avail the taste of this dish in their home when slight modifications are made in the preparation process.

 

  • A non-stick greased pan is put on a medium flamed oven. The marinated chicken is put on it and the pan covered by a lid.

 

  • After 5 minutes, the upper part of the chicken is brushed with oil and turned upside down and the pan is again covered by the lid.
Tandoori Chicken Recipe without oven preparation (Chicken on non stick pan).
Tandoori Chicken Recipe without oven preparation (Chicken on non stick pan).
  • After 5 minutes the chicken consistency is again checked.

 

  • If its color becomes golden brown and the chicken itself is tender, then it indicates that the chicken is ready for consumption.

 

  • If it is not yet in the condition mentioned above then, the chicken is again brushed with a little oil and passed through the previously mentioned steps, till the desired color and consistency are obtained.

 

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Tandoori Chicken final dish (without oven preparation)
Tandoori Chicken final dish (without oven preparation)

Conclusion

 

The above description was of - Tandoori Chicken Recipe authentic preparation that is followed in most of the Indian eateries and homes. However, the great popularity of this non-vegetarian Indian dish, both inside the country and in foreign lands has ensured that some regional adaptations have come up in many different places. Here we have tried to keep our discussion very simple, attempting to help all those, who want to try the Tandoori Chicken Recipe at Home. Go try it, it is a very simple preparation and you certainly will not be disappointed.


(DECLARATION - All the images used in this site, are either from personal collection, or are images available in Public Domain. The owner of this website is grateful to all those, who donated their images to – Wikipedia, Wikimedia, Flickr, Pixabay, Picryl and all other sites; for free use, as images in Public Domain.)
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