Easy Tandoori Chicken

Steps

1. 1.

   Hang The Yogurt

   Tip the yogurt into a muslin cloth or a sieve lined with a coffee filter set over a bowl. Leave it in the fridge for an hour to drain. You want it thick like cream cheese. Watery yogurt slides off the chicken and steams it. Greek yogurt is already thick enough to use straight.

2. 2.

   Slash The Chicken

   Pull off any skin and pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Make 2 or 3 deep cuts on each thigh and drumstick, right down to the bone. This lets the marinade in and helps the thick parts cook at the same speed as the thin ones.

3. 3.

   First Marinade

   Rub the chicken with the salt, lemon juice, chili powder and ginger garlic paste, pushing it into the cuts with your fingers. Leave it 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the fridge while the yogurt hangs.

4. 4.

   Second Marinade

   Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it just starts to smoke, then take it off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. This takes away its raw, sharp bite. Whisk the hung yogurt with the cooled oil, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander powder, kasuri methi and salt. Coat the chicken thoroughly and massage it into the slashes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

5. 5.

   Heat The Oven

   Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 240°C, or the highest it goes, for a good 20 minutes. Line a baking tray with foil and set a wire rack on top so the hot air reaches the underside.

6. 6.

   Roast The Easy Tandoori Chicken

   Arrange the pieces on the rack with space between them. Roast 20 minutes. Turn each piece, brush with the melted butter, and roast another 12 to 15 minutes. The thickest part near the bone should read 75°C, or the juices run clear when you pierce it.

7. 7.

   Char Under The Grill

   Switch the oven to grill on high and move the tray to the upper rack. Grill 3 to 4 minutes until the edges blacken in spots. Stay close. It goes from charred to burnt quickly.

8. 8.

   Smoke And Serve

   For the smoky tandoor taste, heat a small piece of charcoal over a gas flame until glowing. Put it in a small steel bowl in the middle of the chicken, drizzle a few drops of ghee or oil on it, and cover tightly for 2 to 3 minutes. Totally optional. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with onion rings, lemon wedges and mint chutney.