Tip for tandoori skewer chicken

ScandiBrit

ScandiBrit

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Hi

I have a garden BBQ/pizza oven and it gets to a good temperature and was wanting to do tandoori chicken on skewers. Does anybody have any tips? Was going to start yogurt marinade at lunch time.

Rich
 
ScandiBrit said:
I have a garden BBQ/pizza oven
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Oooh I'd love one of those (but we've no-where to put it).

I'd suggest using chicken thighs rather than breast for kebabs - that way you can get the outside all charred without the meat going dry.

For a tandoori marinade I usually use fresh garlic and ginger, chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri), cumin, corriander, turmeric and some lemon or lime juice. If I'm cooking them on the grill inside I'll add some smoked paprika, but its not really needed if I'm cooking them on the BBQ. The longer you can marinade it the better.
 
Dangermouse..

Sorry to be thick but do you remove the meat from the chicken thighs and still use skewers?

Rich
 
I tend to use skinless and boneless thighs, so yes they'd need either skewering or cooking on a wire rack.
You can do tandoori chicken with bone-in legs or thighs though - that works well too. The main thing (in my opinion) is to avoid breast meat - coz it'd go too dry.
 
Yes, I am going to agree with MrsDangermouse - - legs or thighs, bone can be in (although it is likely harder to skewer down the middle with bone in... :whistling:) Typically skin is removed. Marinating for several hours (or even overnight) is best. I poke a few holes in the thighs (or what have you) with the tines of a fork, and rub that marinate in, then let it soak in that for those several hours.
 
Technically I think if its on a skewer its chicken tikka. I may be wrong. Same marinade though.

MrsDangermouse said:
For a tandoori marinade I usually use fresh garlic and ginger, chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri), cumin, corriander, turmeric and some lemon or lime juice. If I'm cooking them on the grill inside I'll add some smoked paprika, but its not really needed if I'm cooking them on the BBQ. The longer you can marinade it the better.
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Sounds similar to what I do - I can't find my recipe! Here is the photo.

If you want the super bright red effect you have to use food colouring. These were cooked in the Halogen oven then charred further with a blow-torch.

40573
 
Hi

Well I had to go for breasts . . so need to be careful on letting it dry. Chicken is marinading now with yogurt, dried turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, salt and a fresh crushed chilli. I slowly blended in lime juice so as not to let yogurt split. I will let you know on how it goes. Any tips on cooking? Short and fast on high or slow and low heat
 
ScandiBrit said:
Hi

Well I had to go for breasts . . so need to be careful on letting it dry. Chicken is marinading now with yogurt, dried turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, salt and a fresh crushed chilli. I slowly blended in lime juice so as not to let yogurt split. I will let you know on how it goes. Any tips on cooking? Short and fast on high or slow and low heat
Click to expand...

Cook on high temperature, I'd say - and aim for charring. Slow and low will dry them out. In my experience they take around 15 minutes, maybe less if your oven gets to a really high heat - you may need to sacrifice a piece to test its cooked through.
 
ScandiBrit said:
Hi

Well I had to go for breasts . . so need to be careful on letting it dry. Chicken is marinading now with yogurt, dried turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, salt and a fresh crushed chilli. I slowly blended in lime juice so as not to let yogurt split. I will let you know on how it goes. Any tips on cooking? Short and fast on high or slow and low heat
Click to expand...

To be a tandoori chicken, it needs to go high and fast. I wish I could help you further with this using chicken breast - I've only found two methods of cooking regular (supermarket) chicken breast that I find tasty, and neither lend themselves to tandoori. But I think you'll do better with high and fast anyway than slow and low heat with this cut, especially if it's skin-less. BASTE often! Heat up any extra marinate (enough to cook and kill any bacteria) and pour over the finished skewers.

PS your marinate sounds wonderful!
 
Feedback time!

It started really well but I simply did not have enough coal to give the deep heat so scorched about half of them and then finished them in a big non-stick pan so they still had a bit of smokey flavour and added the marinade plus more yogurt to the hot pan. The marinade with lime really softened the chicken and it was quite lovely. I used the coal for to the home made naan so each person made their own.

Next time . . lot more coal and heat, maybe some fresh herbs.
 
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