Recipe & Video Tandoori Chicken

murphyscreek

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I'm sure everyone has a tandoori recipe up their sleeve, but thought I'd share this one I made yesterday. As I didn't have any Kashmiri chilli powder, I swapped in paprika and cayenne which worked a treat.

35116


Ingredients

4 chicken marylands
2 tsp tumeric powder
3 tsp chilli powder
2 lemons
1 cup hung yoghurt
6 cloves grated garlic
i large nob grated ginger
2 tbsp paprika (not smoked)
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 drops red food colouring (optional)

Method

Slice deep cuts in to chicken, then massage a little tumeric, chilli powder, and lemon juice all over and in to incisions. Place aside. Heat oil in a shallow pan and carefully cook paprika, garam masala, coriander, 1 tsp of the chilli powder, and cumin powder until fragrant. Turn off heat and allow oil and spice mix to completely cool. Place chicken in a bowl with yoghurt, ginger/garlic, spice/oil mixture, juice of one lemon, salt, and red food colouring, and mix well massaging yoghurt marinade thoroughly in to chicken. Marinate overnight. Preheat oven to 220 degree celsius. Take chicken out of marinade shaking off excess (reserve marinade), and place on a rack and roast for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and turn pieces over, and baste chicken with reserved marinade, then roast for a further 20 minutes or until chicken cooked. Grill/broil under a high heat for a few minutes to get the charring effect before serving.

View: https://youtu.be/HDuMJ9Haddc
 
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A few years ago I never would have contemplated using it. But these days it doesn't worry me, as I know that most Indian restaurants do the same. There's another Indian restaurant dish I've been enjoying making lately called Chicken 65, and it's virtually compulsory to add red colouring to replicate it as per enjoyed in Indian restaurants in India.
 
I just can't bring myself to artificially colour it. Kashmiri chilli is a beautiful bright brick red and I reckon that looks more appetising than cochineal.

I used the Queens Pillar Box brand which I'm pretty sure is listed on vegan friendly food lists as ok to use, so presumably no cochineal. Not that it would worry me personally, have spent many a fine evening on the banks of the Mekong enjoying some spicy and salty deep fried insects, washed down with a couple of cold BeerLao.
 
I used the Queens Pillar Box brand which I'm pretty sure is listed on vegan friendly food lists as ok to use, so presumably no cochineal. Not that it would worry me personally, have spent many a fine evening on the banks of the Mekong enjoying some spicy and salty deep fried insects, washed down with a couple of cold BeerLao.

Not sure it is vegan as it contains E124 - also known as Ponceau 4R/Cochineal Red A - but I'm not sure. Its banned in the US and Norway.

But none of that is the reason I don't use colouring - I just feel as if I'm cheating. Which is actually silly given that I made black ice-cream using bamboo charcoal to colour it black!
 
Not sure it is vegan as it contains E124 - also known as Ponceau 4R/Cochineal Red A - but I'm not sure. Its banned in the US and Norway.

But none of that is the reason I don't use colouring - I just feel as if I'm cheating. Which is actually silly given that I made black ice-cream using bamboo charcoal to colour it black!

Yes, we all get to make choices about what we put in to our bodies, and why. Some so called carcinogenics were labelled as such because of intense animal testing, where animals were given massive doses of substances (such as certain additives, colourings) in quantities that were in no way representative of the few drops we might add to our food. But again, many might choose not to take the risk however minimal which is why clear labelling is so important.

As for E124, it does (confusingly) have common names of Ponceau4r, Brilliant Scarlet 4r, and Cochineal Red A. But I've been led to believe (by a vegan workmate when I made turkish delights - non gelatine method - for a work thing) that Queens Pillar Box red colouring is totally synthetic and not derived from any animal product/byproduct and suitable for vegans.

What is e124 and Is It Vegan? - Cruelty Free Reviews
 
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Yes, we all get to make choices about what we put in to our bodies, and why. Some so called carcinogenics were labelled as such because of intense animal testing, where animals were given massive doses of substances (such as certain additives, colourings) in quantities that were in no way representative of the few drops we might add to our food. But again, many might choose not to take the risk however minimal which is why clear labelling is so important.

As for E124, it does (confusingly) have common names of Ponceau4r and Cochineal Red A. But I've been led to believe (by a vegan workmate when I made turkish delights - non gelatine method - for a work thing) that Queens Pillar Box red colouring is totally synthetic and not derived from any animal product/byproduct and suitable for vegans.

What is e124 and Is It Vegan? - Cruelty Free Reviews

Speaking of side effects my first job was as at a sheet metal shop, before painting the steel was put through a trychloethylene plant, it gave off fumes, the guy operating it was absolutely off his face all day. He used to hoot and yell and make dog noises. I learned to protect myself from chemicals. We used to use solvents in my business, compulsory gloves and masks.

Russ
 
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