Tandoori Chicken And Bhatura
"Tandoori masala" and the sauce of the same name are among some of the most famous creations that have traveled from India's kitchens to the rest of the world. And with good reason. The spicy yogurt sauce — usually used to marinate chicken — can tempt the tastebuds of even those unused to spicy food. The dish gets its name from the tandoor, the clay oven in which it is traditionally prepared.
You'll Need (for 4 servings):
For the tandoori chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts
- salt
- juice from ½ lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 10 fl oz plain yogurt
- ½ tsp cilantro
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ginger
- 3 tsp sweet paprika
For the bhatura:
- 8¾ oz flour
- 4 tbsp cornmeal
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- flour for the work surface
- palm butter for frying
Here's How:
1. First cut the chicken breasts into thick slices and thoroughly rub in the salt and the lemon.
2. Now make the marinade by stirring all the spices into the yogurt. Put the chicken in a heatproof dish and pour the seasoned yogurt on top of it. The chicken should be left to marinate for four hours, before being baked in a convection oven for 30 minutes at 360°F.
3. For the bhatura (a type of bread made to accompany this dish, known as puri in southern India), mix the flour, cornmeal, yogurt, yeast, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt in bowl and knead it into a dough. Then cover it and leave it rise.
4. Before going any further, knead the dough through again, then pull off a fist-sized lump. Roll it out into a circular shape on a floured work surface, then fry it in hot palm butter at a temperature of 410°F until it is golden brown. You'll achieve the best results when you cook the bread in a wok and frequently ladle hot fat over the bread with either a soup ladle or a slotted spoon.
Tip: Serve this dish with a tasty yogurt-mint dip. You can easily make this yourself by mixing 7 fl oz of plain yogurt with 3 tbsp of fresh, chopped mint leaves.
If you thought that cooking Indian food was particular complicated, hopefully this recipe suggestion laid your fears to rest. You just should leave a little time for marinating the chicken. Then, you can immerse yourself in a culinary paradise.