HOMEMADE TANDOORI CHICKEN, Low-fat & cholesterol, Easy-peasy, Prep Ahead

Nostalgic for foods of the '70's and 80's?  Try richly spiced oven-baked tandoori chicken.

Tandoori Chicken: richly spiced though not the lurid red of the past
'Wow!  An explosion of spicy flavours. Perfect.' 'Really spicy in a good way; loved the crispy, gnarly bits.'   Tasters

Juicy, tender Tandoori chicken - luridly red with blackened crispy edges - was one of the most popular Indian dishes in the 1970's and '80's.  

It was then and is now perfect healthy food.  It's low-fat and high protein. It's served with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and lemon slices.  Keep the carb content low by adding 3-6 tablespoons of plain rice rice or half a paratha.  For healthy food, it tastes really, really good. 

And it's easy-peasy and prepared the night before.    

Authentic tandoori chicken is baked in a screamingly hot bell shaped clay oven.  Modern ovens sustain reasonably high temperatures;  most cupboards contain a good few Indian spices

Cost: depends of quality & cut of chicken but say £4.00'ish (2019)
Serves: 4-6

Ingred: 
     27oz/3/4kilo chicken legs or thighs and/or drumsticks 

Marinade 1
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 tbsp fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tbsp dried
    1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    1 tbsp lemon juice

Marinade 2
   5oz/150g/1 cup fat free yoghurt
   1 tbsp lemon juice
   1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
   1 tsp black pepper  
   1 tsp garam masala
   1 tsp dried ginger
   1 tsp allspice (opt)
   1 tsp cayenne
   1 tsp cinnamon
   1 tsp smoked paprika
   1 tsp salt

   3-5 dashes tabasco sauce (opt)

Garnishes (opt): chutney, poppadum, hot nan bread 

Method:

1. Remove skin from chicken; carefully slash the flesh in several places with a sharp knife 
2. Mix ingred for Marinade 1 in a large bowl; add chicken & massage; leave chicken in colander/sieve 20 mins
3. Mix ingred for Marinade 2; place in freezer bag, add drained chicken, massage & refrigerate overnight 
4. To cook: preheat oven to 425f/220c/200fan/gas7
5. Line baking tray/s with foil; add cooking rack
6. Arrange chicken pieces on rack, bone side down
7. Bake 30 mins; turn over and cook a further 10-15 mins
8. Turn chicken again; switch oven off; put a tray of water into the bottom of the oven; close door and leave chicken in another 15-25 mins; don't allow meat to dry out   
9. Serve with shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber & tomatoes, lemon/lime wedges and low-sugar chutney (opt)

Some Inspiration from Jeweller by Trade Chef Wannabe 

Comments:

'Wow!  An explosion of spicy flavouring in the mouth.  It's the perfect chicken leg.' Political Agent

'It's spicy but not overwhelming and it's full of flavour.  The lemon beautifully balances the spices.  Loved the crunchy burnt bits and happily gnawed on the knuckle and bones.'  20+ fundraiser

Tips:

• for households not keen on spices, reduce them by half
• tandoori mix is available in most supermarkets
• add food colouring to achieve the lurid red colour 

History:Once upon a time before Caribbean, Mexican and Korean spicing took over the culinary world, Indian and Chinese food were the exotic foods of choice.  They're still very popular but no longer 'in vogue', more as a happily permanent backdrop to English cuisine.    
Indian food has a venerable 400 year old history in London but really took off in the 1970's and 80's.  In what is now Fitzrovia, dozens of Indian restaurants served beautifully spiced, moderately priced food that attracted countless middle-class professionals, families and tourists

                            More chicken on NavBar/Recipes 1

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.