Tandoori Chicken with Coconut Basmati Rice and Curry Roasted Carrots
This Indian inspired dish hits all the right notes — Marinate the chicken in the morning to save time, flavors to please the whole family, leftovers make the perfect school lunch!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garam masala (you can substitute curry powder)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like it
- 3 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
- 7 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- Zest and juice from one lime
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 12 chicken drumsticks (about 4 pounds)
- Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- To get the most flavor out of the spices, I like toast them briefly. This is a common step you’ll find in most Indian dishes, and a step that is important to get maximum impact from the spices.
- Combine the paprika, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Heat a small saucepan, over medium-low heat and add the spices. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. When you start smelling the fabulous aroma of the spices, they are done. It’s important not to leave the stove, because they will toast quickly and you don’t want to risk burning them.
- Add the spices to a blender and then add the ginger, garlic, Greek yogurt, lime zest and juice, oil and salt; process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time.
- To ensure the spice blend marinates the whole piece of chicken, make 2 or 3 deep cuts into each drumstick, using a very sharp knife.
- Place the drumsticks in a large ziplock bag, add the marinade, seal the bag. Shake and massage the bag so the marinade coats each drumstick. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours (which is what I usually do) or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil (this will make cleanup much easier!) and set an oven-proof rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray or grease with olive oil.
- Arrange the chicken on the rack, leaving a bit of space between the pieces. Spoon any marinade left in the ziplock evenly over the drumsticks.
- Roast for 45 minutes – 1 hour, turning once midway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. When the chicken is done, for extra crispy chicken, turn on the broiler and broil the chicken about 6 inches from the heat for 3-5 minutes. The chicken will get charred and crispy and this will happen quickly so be sure to keep watch over the chicken.From Once Upon a Chef
Have you made this recipe?I’d love to know! Leave a comment or recipe rating and tag me @amenuforyou on social media!
