Tandoori Chicken With Naan

"I'll bet what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world 

is that they were just looking for a decent meal." -Martha Harrison

This was my first attempt at cooking real Indian food. I chose tandoori chicken for it's spice level and simplicity. I paired it with traditional naan and fresh-baked spinach artichoke dip. The great thing about it was that with the leftovers I made a tandoori chicken soup which was awesome. Now the hardest thing to find for this recipe was the Indian spice Garam masala . If your local store doesn't carry it you can order it online or you might luck out like me and find in your spice aisle Mccormick Recipe Inspirations

The Chicken Tikka Masala has two of the spices needed for this recipe in the same exact measurements. Garam Masala and Cumin. I prefer to use fresh chopped garlic. If this is your only savior like it was for me, buy two packets as you will need more spice for the leftover soup. The chicken needs to soak in the spice mix for 8 hours or over night. I prepped mine while cooking dinner the night before. You can make the Naan from scratch or you can try this Naan Bread Mix. if you can find it at your store. I have used Golden Temple Products before and I can vouch for the taste and easy directions. Make sure to begin working on your naan while pre-heating the oven.

Tandoori Chicken

1 pkg  skinless chicken breast fillets
1 onion (roughly chopped)
1 inch fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin (powder)
1 tsp coriander (powder)
1 tsp turmeric (powder)
1 tsp garam masala (powder)
1 tsp salt (taste)
1Tbs lemon juice
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1: In a blender or liquidizer, add in the chopped onion, ginger and garlic and grind to a fine paste.

2: Pour the onion mixture into a bowl, and add in the rest of the ingredients - ground spices and salt, lemon juice, yogurt, tomato puree and oil and give it all a thorough mix. (I was out of tomato puree so I liquidized 3 Roma tomatoes in the food processor) 

3: Use the same roasting tin to marinade and cook the chicken in. So, line a roasting tin with foil (makes washing up easier!), place the chicken in the roasting tin and pour the marinade onto the chicken and rub it in  all over and cover the tin with another piece of foil.

4: Refrigerate for at least 8 hours but preferably over-night.

   (Prep the Naan before cooking the chicken. See Naan Recipe)

5: Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350F/180°C.

6: Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for at least 30-45 mins before cooking (on a warmer day, 30 mins will do).

7: Place the chicken in the center shelf of the oven for 1 hour, basting with the juices from the tin half way through.

8: After 1 hour, take the foil off and return the chicken back to the oven for another 20 minutes basting every 10 minutes to nicely brown and crisp up the skin.

9: Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with foil and leave it to rest for 20 minutes before serving.



Naan Recipe 

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)


1/4 cup butter, melted

1: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes until it makes a smooth ball. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a warm damp cloth, and set aside in a warm place to rise. ( I kept the bowl on top of the oven while it was pre-heating.) Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2: Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3: During the second rising, preheat skillet to high heat.

4: Roll one ball of dough out into a very thin circle. (the thinner the better) Lightly oil one side of the dough. Place dough on skillet, oil side down and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until slightly browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet, sprinkle with salt, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

ENJOY!!!