Tandori Chicken and a cold Taj !!

                                      
Now that I am back and in "full swing" the weather is clearing just in time to start thinking about grilling. My last post I began a bit on Indian Cuisine and some of the spices, note I said some of the spices. Indian Cuisine has one of the most complex spice structures utilizing spices we rarely have on our racks let alone use on a daily basis. A Tandor Chefs main piece of equipment is a Tandor Oven, this is somewhere between a wood fire oven and a grill. I have seen and cooked with modern Tandors in a couple of restaurants over the years, there is a definite art to mastering cooking in this fashion. From the baking of Nahn to the grilling of Kheema and Tandoori Chicken there is a unique flavor that this oven will create along with the spices of Indian and Middle Eastern Cuisine, a reaction of sorts if you will.
OK, onto this recipe for Tandoori Chicken. I prefer using Greek Style Yogurt as it seems to give a preferred flavor and consistency.

Ingrediants

2 (6 ounce) containers plain yogurt

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tbls freshly grated ginger

6 cloves garlic finely chopped

4 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground Cinnamon

2 tsp ground coriander

16 chicken thighs (skin removed

olive oil spray

 

Ia medium bowl stir together yogurt, salt, pepper, cloves, and ginger. Mix in garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. Set aside. Rinse chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn the bag over several times to distribute marinade. Place bag in a bowl, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Preheat an outdoor grill for direct medium heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. With paper towels wipe off excess marinade. Spray chicken pieces with olive oil spray. Place chicken on the grill, and cook about 2 minutes. Turn, and cook 2 minutes more. Then arrange the chicken to receive indirect heat, and cook approximately 35 to 40 minutes. The thighs will be a reddish golden color with the beauty of the carmalization that will bring a smile to your face and a spiciness to your buds as the complex flavors run across your buds.

What to drink? This recipe pairs well with a table red such as a 2010 Cameron. My favorite beverage to enjoy is an ice cold Taj Mahal Lager served up in an Iced glass from the freezer.

Enjoy!!