Receta Tandoori Grilled Chicken Recipe with Spiced Yogurt Marinade
Yes, here I go again – bastardizing a tried and true cooking method in the name of laziness and a waning kitchen gadget budget. The last time I did something similar, with the Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Molasses & Boubon Sauce Recipe, each of you was kind enough not to throw me under the nearest barbecue bus (or truck). Authentic tandoori chicken is cooked in a tandoor oven, a cylindrical clay oven which maintains temperatures of up to 900 degrees F when heated by a charcoal or wood fire. The problem with this picture is that I, at times, like to barbecue with a cocktail, such as a Watermelon Mojito, in hand. Hades heat and alcohol – so many things are wrong with that picture.
Before grilling, the chicken pieces are marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices, such as garam masala, cumin, and turmeric. These spices can be readily found in an Indian market for a very reasonable price. The marination can start the night before or the morning of cooking day. In fact, the flavors will be best if the chicken sits in the yogurt mixture for at least 6 hours, giving the yogurt’s tenderizing powers a chance to work their magic. After a quick trip across the grill, the chicken is ready to serve. All you need is a bowl of brown rice, some grilled vegetables, and a jar of mango chutney to round out the meal. Leftovers are fabulous served inside a tortilla wrap with a dollop of yogurt-curry sauce.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cups low-fat plain yogurt, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Blend until smooth.
Place 8 skinless chicken pieces, a combination of drumsticks and thighs, into a large bowl. Pour the yogurt marinade over the chicken and toss until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat.
Place the chicken pieces, coated in marinade, on the grill and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 6 to 7 minutes per side. In the last minute of cooking, lightly brush each chicken piece with olive oil. Remove from the grill, let rest 10 minutes, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve.
- Other grilled and spiced chicken dishes:
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tamarind & Orange Glaze
- Cookin’ Canuck’s Grilled Chicken with Soy-Curry Sauce
- David Lebovitz’s Tandoori Chicken
- Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Grilled Curry Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- The Perfect Pantry’s Burmese Dry Chicken Curry
- She Simmers’ Thai Grilled Chicken
- Tandoori Grilled Chicken with Spiced Yogurt Marinade
- 2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 pieces skinless chicken, combination of drumsticks and thighs
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
In the bowl of a food processor, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, celery seed, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Place chicken pieces into a large bowl. Pour the yogurt marinade over the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat.
Place the chicken pieces, coated in marinade, on the grill and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 6 to 7 minutes per side. In the last minute of cooking, lightly brush each chicken piece with olive oil. Remove from the grill, let rest 10 minutes, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve.
chicken,
grilled