Baked Tandoori Chicken

No one needs an introduction to the famed Tandoori Chicken, believed to have originated during the Indo-Pak partition in Delhi.

The slightly charred yet succulent Baked Tandoori Chicken is my personal favourite and can be easily recreated with just a few steps and ingredients, thanks to the ready-made tandoori masalas available in the market (My preferred brand would be the Pakistani National Tandoori Masala – if that’s not available, replace with any other brand of tandoori masala)

When I have guests at home, this oven baked version of tandoori chicken is a must on the menu. This is one of my daughter Nivedita’s favourite meals – chicken being the only meat she enjoys eating. You may try this simply recipe, enjoy and share the bliss.

Clean and cut 1 kg chicken (we prefer to use drumsticks or leg and thigh pieces and leave the skin on; you could use skinless pieces)

Prepare the marinade with 1 cup yoghurt, 2 tbs ginger garlic paste, 2 tbs white vinegar, 4 tbs tandoori masala, salt and juice of 1/2 lime.

Score the chicken pieces (make deep gashes) and coat the pieces in the marinade. Add 2 tbs oil to hold the marinade together. Leave overnight in the refrigerator. If in a hurry, marinate the meat at least for an hour.

Bake in an oven for 40 minutes at 200 degrees.

Serve with salads and breads.

By Vinod Nelson

A small town boy from Kerala, Vinod is a devoted dad, husband and friend, who has been working for the past 18 years in the humanitarian aid and development sector in Afghanistan. He lives in Georgia. Vinod has hit 50 and does not see his taste for food or cooking fading away. He loved to cook even as a teen; he thought it was only because he loved to eat, but with time, realised there was more to it –  the soul of breaking bread with friends and family. And if they loved it, then would be a bonus. His daughter Nivedita has just turned 14.