Tandoori Roast Chicken

With Eid coming up, you may be on the hunt for a showstopper of a dish that is both easy to make and a general crowd pleaser so why not give this Tandoori roast chicken a go? You’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand when it comes to the spices as it has the usual suspects – cumin, coriander, garam masala, chilli etc – and the only thing you’ll need is a chicken! You can technically cheat and use the Tandoori mix packets that you get in the supermarket but where’s the fun in that?

It does require an overnight marinating session but that just means you’ll get an even tastier, even juicier result. If you’re short for time, make a few slices in the chicken, smother it in the marinade and leave for 2-3 hours. It won’t be exactly the same but it would be ideal for a post-work midweek dinner!

Tandoori Roast Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade:
1 medium whole chicken, giblets removed
200g yoghurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 heaped tsp cumin powder
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Squeeze of lemon
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder ( add more if you like it hot!)
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger paste
1 heaped tsp garlic paste

For the cavity:
1/4 onion, large chunks
1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ginger slices

METHOD

1. Pat the chicken dry with a kitchen towel.
2. In a bowl, mix together all of the marinade ingredients listed above. Taste for salt and adjust the flavouring to your liking.
3. Smother the chicken in the yoghurt mixture, inside and outside, and stuff the cavity with 1/2 lemon, onion, garlic cloves and ginger pieces. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 12 hours (the longer, the better!) and if you are in a rush, make slits in the chicken, marinate and leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
4. Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 180C fan. Once the oven is hot, place the chicken on a foil-lined baking tray and cook for approximately 1 hour to 1h15mins until it is fully cooked. Be sure to baste the chicken every so often to prevent it from drying out.
5. Remove from the oven and cover with a foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes as this allows the chicken to retain all of the juices and then feel free to carve into it!
6. Serve with roast potatoes and salad. We’ll show you what to do with the leftovers tomorrow!