Tag Archives: Garam masala

Tandoori Chicken Y’all

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So I figured you are almost done using all those spices you have in the pantry from the Simla Mirch Paneer recipe. I thought I’d toss one last Indian staple your way since it is served at most restaurants & easy enough to make at home. Now, a tandoor is a clay oven so this chicken is typically charbroiled and hence has the name Tandoori Chicken. Since most of us don’t really have a tandoor laying around our backyard, grilling or baking in the oven is just as sufficient. Having said that, this is nice way to get the India feel without having to order from your local Lakshmi Grill.

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (aka dried cilantro powder)
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons ginger paste
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 lb. chicken (preferably bone in pieces)

To prepare the spice rub: In a small bowl, combine the salt, chili powder and lemon juice to make a thick paste. Rub the paste evenly over the chicken. Set the chicken aside for 15 minutes to let the flavors absorb & for the chicken to get that red color. To prepare the tandoori sauce: In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin, coriander, paprika, & garam masala. Whisk everything together until it is well mixed. Rub the sauce evenly over the chicken, thoroughly covering it. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 4 hours. Preheat an oven or charcoal grill to 350 degrees F. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove and baste with some melted butter and drippings from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken back to the heat and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with a sliced onion and lemon wedges.

Happy Eating, XO.

Simla mirch paneer

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Merely translates to bell pepper paneer. If you don’t know what paneer is, google it. (Their explanation will be much better than my cliché response: its like “cottage” cheese). Point here is to reuse the lovely ingredients you purchased for the Goan Shrimp Curry recipe. Swap out the shrimp for paneer and the coconut milk for green bell peppers. Yes, its just that simple! Now, I will say there are many ways to prepare this dish, but this one is the easiest, as well as, my favorite.
  • 1 chopped medium yellow spanish onion (vidalia is too sweet)
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. of the minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. Tumeric powder
  • 2 tsp. Cumin (the powder or seeds, I personally hate the seeds and always use powder)
  • 2 tsp. Coriander powder
  • 2 tsp. Garam Masala
  • 2 tsp. Ginger powder (I tend to think fresh is too strong, but would work fine)
  • Red chili powder to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2 chopped green bell peppers (keep the diced size similar to the size you cut the paneer so it all cooks well and evenly together. Also, Green is best in my opinion as red & yellow tend to have a sweeter flavor that would detract from this dish).
  • 250 gm Paneer (Store bought paneer is fine, I know your moms probably make it from scratch, oh well. Dice into cubes).

Create the tadka (remember that fun word we learned previously? No? Its just browning the spices in hot oil, 3 tablespoons of oil on high heat) then add tomato paste (note I use the paste vs. most people who use actual tomatoes. Feel free to use either, I just think real tomatoes have too high of a water content making the dish more wet & I prefer the sabzi to be dry), chopped onions and bell pepper. Once the tomato paste has melted and mixed in with the veggies add the cubed paneer. Cook stove top on medium heat for 15 minutes. Serve with rice or roti.

photo

Happy Eating, XO.