Pan Tandoori Chicken
(Indian Tandoori Chicken Fusion)
Written by Nasrul Eam
Once few of my friends and I wanted to chill out on the weekends, and our choice of food was none other than the tandoori chicken with naan – the Indian oven-baked flatbread. It was during our university days and we would love to make our taste buds explode with deliciousness. We went to glossary stores, one after another, and looking for the finest tandoori spices all over, ended up with a Pakistani spice that everyone recommended.
Marinating the chicken went well, and when it was time for roasting in a traditional barbecue grill, only I was there to finish. Soon I started enjoying the scent of wood fires and kept basting spiced mixed oil over it. When it was done, the taste of tandoori chicken was so delicious that all of us became fan of it. The rest of story could be an inspiration for those people who love cooking. During weekends or semester break, birthday party or get-together, for friends or even for friends of friends, it was I, who was there making tandoori chicken for ten, twenty, or even more than hundreds of people.
Many years have passed since then, I left my country and live outside. Staying outside of Indian subcontinent, many of the spices are not always available. Then when my in-laws family wanted to taste one Indian chicken recipe, I had no other items in my mind other than the tandoori chicken, but this time it was my very own spices, on a simple frying pan. And thus the Pan Tandoori Chicken was born.
Pan Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
| 1 whole chicken (around 8 pieces) | 2 tablespoons butter or margarine |
| ½ cup sliced onions | 3 tablespoons oil |
| 2 cloves of garlic peeled into cloves | ½ teaspoon red chili pepper |
| 1 teaspoon ginger paste | 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar |
| 1 cup sliced capsicum | 3 tablespoons milk |
| 5-6 black peppercorns | 1 teaspoon salt |
How to Make It Delicious
Instructions
| 1. Remove the chicken skin and cut it into 8 or 10 pieces. |
| 2. Add salt, lemon juice or a little vinegar (1 teaspoon), and 2 tablespoons milk to the chicken then leave aside for 20 minutes before marinating. |
| 3. Put ½ cup sliced onions, 1 cup sliced capsicum, garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon red chili pepper, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 1 cup sliced capsicum, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar, and 5-6 black peppercorns in a food processor and process until they are fairly well blended. |
| 4. For authentic taste and if you are very energetic, crush them in a mortar and pestle. |
| 5. Marinate the chicken with the spice paste for 2-3 hours. |
| 6. In a pan over medium-low heat, warm the 3 tablespoons oil then place the chicken evenly. |
| 7. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and mix it with the leftover spice paste in a bowl. |
| 8. Baste the chicken with the butter mixed spice every 5-10 minutes interval for 25-30 minutes. |
| 9. To finish, serve the pan tandoori chicken with naan, garnished with onion rings and lemon wedges. |
Cuisine
Fusion Cuisine
Preparation Time
2-3 hours
Cooking Time
30-45 minutes
Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredient Availability
Almost everywhere
Course
Main Course
Serves
4 people
Note
To make it absolutely delicious, marinate the chicken for at least six hours in the refrigerator, but overnight is the best.
Using yogurt obviously gives you the best taste, but in this recipe I make everything simple that one usually have at home. Using milk with a spoonful of lemon juice or white vinegar does the job of yogurt quite nicely.
Tough it’s a fusion dish, the origin is still Indian, and Indian food is best enjoyed when eaten with the hand, especially the tandoori chicken that takes all ten fingers to taste its deliciousness.
Remember the taste of any dish is hugely depends on salt, so measure the salt with your senses. In time, you will develop a tactile memory for just the right amount.
Last and most important before eating this wonderful dish, don’t forget to begin with the name of Almighty, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, for giving us the opportunity to enjoy His bounty, and as always, you can feel the soul of your dish when share it with someone you love.
