Tandoori Style Chicken With Cucumber Melon Relish Food

TANDOORI-STYLE CHICKEN WITH CUCUMBER MELON RELISH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garam masala, salt and pepper flakes until blended. Pour 1 cup marinade into a large bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate up to 6 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., For relish, in a small bowl, mix cantaloupe, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, mint and remaining lemon juice., Drain chicken, discarding marinade in bowl. Grill chicken, covered, on a lightly oiled rack over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 6-8 minutes on each side. Serve with relish and reserved marinade. If desired, sprinkle with almonds.

TANDOORI-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Using sharp knife, cut three 3/4-inch-deep diagonal slashes in each chicken piece. Divide chicken between 2 large bowls and rub with spice mixture. Let stand 10 minutes. Divide yogurt and onions between same bowls. Toss chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil; place cooling racks on prepared baking sheets. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken thighs to 1 sheet and chicken breasts to second sheet, spacing pieces slightly apart (make sure that chicken pieces do not touch and are covered in yogurt mixture). Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes for breasts and about 40 minutes for thighs. (Chicken can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Place chicken on large platter. Serve cold or at room temperature.

TANDOORI-ISH CHICKEN WITH LIME-PICKLED CUCUMBER

Steps:

• Slash the chicken with a sharp knife. Mix the yogurt, garlic, ginger, tomato purée, spices, lemon juice and 1½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight.
• For the pickle, mix together the lime juice, sugar, chilli and 1 tsp salt, then toss with the cucumber and red onion. Chill until ready to use or up to 1 hr.
• Blitz the yogurt, cumin and herbs with a pinch of salt until smooth. Chill until needed.
• Shake off the excess marinade and put the chicken on a baking tray, reserving the marinade. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then once at temperature, change the setting and heat the grill to high. Grill the chicken, skin-side-up, for 10-15 mins or until beginning to blacken a little. Change the setting back to an oven heat of 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Transfer the chicken to a roasting tin, then brush with the reserved marinade and cook for 20 mins. Serve with the cucumber, yogurt, cucumber pickle and pilau rice.

TANDOORI-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• For marinade, combine all ingredients except for chicken, oil and lime wedges in a food processor and purée until smooth.
• With a sharp knife, make several incisions on each chicken piece to help marinade penetrate meat. Transfer chicken to a large glass or ceramic baking dish and pour in marinade, turning chicken pieces to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken pieces from marinade. Transfer chicken to a roasting pan and drizzle with vegetable oil. Roast, basting occasionally, until juices run clear and meat is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely, then wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with lime wedges.

RESTAURANT-STYLE TANDOORI CHICKEN IN THE OVEN!

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt and lemon juice. Add the spices, minced garlic, and chili paste, and whisk until you have a smooth, thick marinade.
• Put 6 pieces of the chicken in each of two zip-lock bags, and add 1/2 the marinade to each bag. Zip closed and knead the bags until the chicken is well-coated with marinade. Open bags slightly, squeeze out most of the air, and zip closed again. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. If serving this for dinner, I usually make the marinade and start the chicken soaking the evening before.
• Turn the bags and knead the marinating chicken once or twice while it's in the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, line a large roasting pan with foil, lay a rack over the pan so air can circulate under the roasting chicken, and pre-heat your oven to 425. If you have a convection bake or convection roast cycle, use that.
• Place the chicken pieces on the rack so they are not touching. Empty what is left of the marinade into a bowl or measuring cup and touch up any "empty" spots on the chicken pieces with the marinade.
• Once the oven is hot, put the pan with the chicken in the oven, and leave the door closed (no peeking!). Turn the chicken pieces once after 30 minutes of cooking time, then roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly charred on the second side, but no more than 15 minutes for legs and thighs. If you are cooking breasts, poke one with a skewer to make sure the juices run clear.
• NOW TURN THE OVEN OFF, and let the chicken rest in the closed oven for 20-30 minutes more (not critical, but NO PEEKING!).
• Remove the chicken to a warm platter, garnish with the onion rings and a few squeezes of lemon, and enjoy!
• See if you don't agree this is as good as any "authentic" Tandoori chicken you've ever tried!

TANDOORI-MARINATED CHICKEN WITH CUCUMBER, LIME, AND CHILES

Steps:

• Toast cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind into a fine powder.
• Puree onion, garlic, and ginger. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture. Fry until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in spice mixture and turmeric. Let cool.
• Stir yogurt into onion mixture. Season with salt.
• Place chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet, and tuck wings under. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Gently separate skin from breast of chicken, and rub some of the yogurt mixture under the skin on each side. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Uncover chicken, and season with salt. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and tent loosely with foil. Return to oven, rotating sheet. Roast until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving with cucumbers, lime wedges, and chiles.