Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken has earned a name for itself and needs no explanation or introduction. Tandoori Chicken is just fabulous. The experience, the spices, the color, the flavor, the aroma….the combination of all this will have you coming back for more every time. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, here is ….Tandoori Chicken…

Ingredients:
Chicken - 6 pieces ( approx 1lb), washed & skinned drumsticks
MARINADE:
Yogurt - 1 1/2 cups, well beaten
Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Tandoori Masala - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Red Food Color - 2 drops, optional
Green Chili - to taste, ground
BASTE
Lemon Juice - 1/2 cup
Tandoori Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste, optional
Red Food Color - 2 drops
Method:
Wash the skinned Chicken well and with a knife make 1-inch slits in it.
Put the chicken in a gallon size zip lock bag and add in the Lemon Juice.
Give it a good mix and let it sit while getting the marinade ready.
Pour all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Do a taste test for the marinade and adjust the salt and other spices as needed.
Add the marinade to the chicken (in the zip lock bag) and give another good mix. Make sure all the pieces get well coated with the yogurt mixture.
Store in the refrigerator to marinate overnight or minimum of 4 hours for best results.
At the time of barbecuing, pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat.
Get the baste ready by mixing all the ingredients together.
Once the Grill is ready, spray some cooking oil on the grill so that the chicken does not stick to the grill.
With tongs, place the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
Flip the chicken, coat it with the baste and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Flip again. Baste again. Repeat a couple of times until the chicken is fully cooked.
The Chicken needs to cook for approximately 18-20 minutes total.
Remove Chicken into a platter. Always let it sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to settle in.
Serve with Mint Chutney or Pickled Onions.
Tips:
Chicken thighs also work very well for this recipe in combination with or as an alternative to the chicken drumsticks.
You can use boneless chicken for the same recipe as well.