Tandoori Chicken and naan at The Taj Flavor at the Promenade Mall on May 5, 2011.TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World
At India Fest 2011 this weekend, there will be a booth where foodies can get recipes and advice on Indian cooking.
If you are interested in attending, the festival runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday at The Pavilion at Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St.
Indian food is one of my favorites, but it is also difficult to reproduce at home.
Here is a pretty simple recipe for a popular Indian dish and it is grilled so it does not heat up your kitchen.
Tip to the wise: The chicken marinated with yogurt has a tendency to be messy. Try covering the grill with tin foil and cutting slats in the foil to reduce the mess.
Grilled Tandoori Chicken
chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces and skin removed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1. Light the grill. Using a sharp knife, cut shallow incisions in the chicken pieces at about 1/2-inch intervals. In a large, glass dish or stainless-steel pan, combine the lemon juice, water, salt, and turmeric. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Let the chicken pieces marinate for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Add to the chicken and lemon mixture; turn to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Grill the chicken over moderately high heat, basting with oil, for 10 minutes. Turn and cook, basting with the remaining oil, until just done, about 10 minutes longer for the breasts, 12 for the thighs and drumsticks.
Serve with Indian flatbread, such as naan, is the traditional accompaniment to tandoori. You can grill store-bought naan or other flatbread, such as pita.
Adapted from Food & Wine magazine
