In the Northwest of India, food baked in a tandoori or clay oven heated with charcoal is very popular. The succulence and flavour are unrivalled. The meat is to be marinated for at least 24 hours in advance. An alternative cooking method is to barbecue the chickens over hot charcoal, or if you have a pizza oven, that works well, too.  This recipe calls for you to do it in your oven, but be warned – it's messy and if you have a smoke detector – you might just wake the neighbourhood!

I always double the recipe – leftover chicken tandoori is easy to turn into butter chicken; it's an absolute crowd-pleaser and a kids' favourite!

Ingredients:

1 small chicken butterflied

1 tbsp. chili paste

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt to taste

Melted butter to taste

Marinade:

2 cups plain yogurt

1 tbsp. chili paste

1 tbsp. crushed garlic

1 tbsp. ginger

1 tbsp. oil

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. garam masala

 

Method:

1. Make deep gashes on the breast, the thighs and drumsticks of the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate. Combine the chili paste, lemon juice and salt and rub all over the chicken.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. While the chicken is doing it's stuff - combine the marinade ingredients.
4. Rub the marinade onto both sides of the chicken and return to the refrigerator for at least 3 hours – 24 hours is ideal.
5. Heat an oven to the maximum heat. Put the chicken on a wire rack in a baking dish and baste with a little melted butter. If you have a pizza oven place a cast iron pan in the oven to preheat and then add the chicken.
6. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is brownish- black and cooked through - no one seems to enjoy raw chicken - then cut into serving pieces.

I like to serve it with some extra chilli flakes (it’s not traditional, but a little Aleppo pepper sprinkled over the chicken when you serve adds to the smokiness), a rough herb, cucumber and onion salad, and chapatti. And don’t forget ice-cold beer.