My summer pick

I am always curious to find out the origins of the recipes which I love. I am always experimenting with my foods so I wonder how did the original chef get the idea. The unique history of the Tandoori Chicken dates back to the time of the Mughals. Grand feasts were conducted by the kings in their palaces. Its popularity however, expanded across India in more recent times. Just before the partition of India, there was a man called Kundan Lal Gujral who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Peshawar (now in Pakistan). In order to keep the customers interested and add a touch of variety to the menu card, he started to cook the chicken on clay ovens and serve them red hot on the plate. The customers who visited the shop were delighted by the new preparation and welcomed its arrival. Later on, he moved to Delhi and his restaurant attained enormous popularity. Even, the first Prime Minister of India, Mr. Nehru was greatly impressed by this Tandoori Chicken delicacy. 

Since we are in the barbeque session, I thought of this recipe.

Plan ahead, this one takes time. It needs at least 8- 10 hours of marinating. I prefer marinating it overnight. The cook time is just 45 minutes, and it is worth the prep time to achieve the maximum flavour.

You will need:

Chicken leg quarters: 6 pcs

Make slits through the thick areas all over the leg quarters. 
Mix 1 tbsp chilli, powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ lemon juice and forma paste. Rub this marinade on the chicken. Make sure you reach out every slit you made. This will help to bring the flavour even if you cook with marinating.

Now the actual marinade:

6 tbsp of thick yogurt (1 tbsp for every leg quarter)
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp each
Chilli pdr – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Fenugreek leaves – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1tsp
½ lime juice
Few drops of red food color

Mix everything nicely. Add the pre marinated chicken with chili powder, salt and lime into this mixture. Rub it all over. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to this. Mix it and let it sit in your refrigerator for 8 to 10 hrs or overnight. I usually put everything in a big ziploc bag and throw that in the refrigerator. Saves me space. 

Next day, just throw them in your bbq and cook them over medium heat. This will give you a crispy crust but a juicy and moist inside.

Serve them with fresh onion rings and lime pieces.

Enjoy!