Spiced Tandoori Chicken

Spiced Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken, probably the most publicized in all Indian poultry cooking, derives it's name from the tandoor or clay oven where it is cooked. In the shape of a large vessel in most cases buried in earth, the tandoor is heated up by white-hot coals inside. The chicken is threaded on the lengthy skewer, which can be lowered inside the oven, leaving the chicken to cook over the hot coals. Try out this type grilled in a gas powered or electric oven. It may not possess quite a similar taste as when prepared over coals, nevertheless is simply too delicious to miss.
Ingredients :

1 kg small chicken

1/2 teaspoon saffron strands

1 tablespoon boiling water

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped finely

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons ghee

 Method :

Remove the skin from the chickens and make slits in the thighs, drumsticks and breast to allow the spices to penetrate. Fill a bowl with boiling water and soak the saffron for about 15 minutes. Blend with a food processor with the garlic, ginger and lemon juice until smooth. Mix the blended ingredients with all the other ingredients except ghee. Dry the chickens inside and out with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, especially in the slits of the cuts. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 200^oC (400^oF).

Put ghee in a roasting pan and heat in the oven for a minute to melt the ghee. Spread the ghee over the base of the pan. Put chickens in the roasting pan, side by side but not touching, with the breast downwards. Spoon the melted ghee over the birds. Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Baste with ghee, turn the birds on one side and roast for 15 minutes. Then turn on the other side, baste again and continue roasting for a further 15 minutes. Turn birds breast upwards, baste well with ghee and pan juices and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. Serve spiced tandoori chicken hot with naan bread and an onion salad.