INTRODUCTION

I was contemplating whether i should blogged Tandoori Chicken or Tikka Masala but after I did my researches for both recipes, apparently most recipes for both cuisines have the same spices and preparation method except that Tikka masala uses chunk of boneless meats yet tandoori chicken uses big pieces of chicken. I am rather confused as my initial objective is just to blog tandoori chicken.

I know tandoori chicken goes well with naan and since my family like naan,  I prepared my naan. If you are interest this simple fast and easy recipe of naan, you can refer here: Garlic Naan Bread (蒜香印度烤饼）

As you know, Chinese like to eat bread with gravy such as curry and I am wondering how should i served my kids with naan and pieces of chicken? I know Tandoori chicken is usually served with mint yoghurt sauce and to me it is absolutely okay. But I am sure my kids  will want some flavourful thick gravy to go with it. They are still not accustomed to the mint and the tangy yoghurt. I thought of making chicken curry or curry dhal but it does does not blend well with tandoori chicken. Another one that I was thinking was Indian butter chicken (Butter Chicken aka Murgh Makhani( 印度奶油鸡 मुर्ग़ मक्खनी)) but I have already blogged before and therefore, I thought I might as well cooked some tikka masala gravy and used chunks of chicken from the tandoori chicken for tikka masala Chicken.

I did not have time to research the differences until I asked my boy to Google “differences between tikka masala and tandoori chicken” and I was surprised that it is basically the same except one have bones and another one is boneless. The answer as per http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-tandoor-and-tikka/   “The main difference between tandoori and tikka dishes is the fact that tikka is made from small pieces of proteins, speared by a skewer. … For example, chicken tikka are marinated pieces of boneless chicken on a skewer while tandoori chicken can be a whole chicken or big chicken pieces, stuck on a skewer.” Therefore, it is essentially the same for the chicken part. as for the gravy, tikka has a special gravy yet tandoori chicken is usually served with mint yoghurt.

Tandoor is the earth oven and chicken roasted inside the traditional earth oven is called tandoori chicken. Because of this roasting process, the chicken is a bit charred with crispy skin and it is that charred aroma that differentiate it from other chicken dishes. Of course, in modern home setting, most people will not have tandoor but the modern electric oven. Don’t worry, you can easily prepare your favourite tandoori chicken at home with this modern oven.

As per Wikipedia,

“Tandoori chicken is a yoghurt and spice marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor oven, a cylindrical clay oven. It is a popular dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. The tandoor oven originates from the northwest frontier. The dish itself is in the Delhi cooking style. It is popular in India and has become increasingly popular in other parts of the world through Indian restaurants. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with the spice mixture tandoori masala. Cayenne pepper, red chilli powder or Kashmiri red chilli powder is used to give it a fiery red hue. A higher amount of turmeric produces an orange colour. In milder versions, both red and yellow food colouring are sometimes used to achieve bright colours, but turmeric powder is both mild and brightly collared, as is paprika, a sweet red pepper powder.” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandoori_chicken)

I am pleased with my attempt of the Tandoori chicken but you may be wondering why my tandoori chicken does not like what is sold. I could make it look like the store version  and in fact I have the urge to add in some red colouring. Unsure of the traditional method of tandoori chicken, but I think most restaurant may have added red colouring to enhance the eye catching appearance without being overly spicy. Well if you insist to have that authentic appearance, you can always add 1/2 teaspoon of permitted red food colouring during the marinating process.

“Chicken tikka masala is a dish of roasted chunks of chicken tikka in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured. It has been claimed to have originated in Glasgow and is among the UK’s most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was a British national dish.  Chicken tikka masala is chicken tikka, chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, that is then baked in a tandoor oven, and served in a masala (spice mix) sauce. A tomato and coriander sauce is common, but no recipe for chicken tikka masala is standard; a survey found that of 48 different recipes, the only common ingredient was chicken.” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala)

Apparently tikka masala is very common overseas but not in Singapore and Malaysia. This is a “marriage” of two recipe, if you want “authentic” tikka masala recipe, you can always cut chunks of chicken breast and marinate and grilled the same way as tandoori chicken. Alternatively, you can have one meal with tandoori chicken, and with the left over tandoori chicken, you can prepare this delicious Tikka masala sauce.  Because of the use of lemon and yoghurt, the sauce is spicy and tangy and personally i loved them though my kids are still trying to adapt to the sauce.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: 4-6 Adult Servings

• 4 chicken tights with drumsticks

Tandoori Chicken Marinate:

• 2 tablespoons of minced ginger garlic
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon of black pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 cup of plain yoghurt
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Tikka Masala Gravy

• 1 big red onion, chopped
• 3-4 tomatoes, puree
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
• 1 cup of plain yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon of chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons of garam masala powder
• Sprigs of coriander
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Cut a few lines on the chicken tight especially on the thicker part for purpose of even marinating and facilitate the cooking later.

• Mix all the marinating together into a paste. If it is too sticky, add a bit more yoghurt. Use hand to massage the marinate onto the chicken and let it marinate for 2-3 hours at room temperature. If you prefer, you can marinate overnight inside the fridge.

• Grill the chicken at the pre-heated oven of 200 degree Celsius (grill mode) for 20-25 minutes. Timing will depend on the thickness of chicken and individual oven heat distribution. Keep an eye on the colour changes, if it browns too fast, reduce the heat or change the position of the chicken. The final test of doneness is to insert a skewer into the thickest part of the chicken drumstick. If there are no blood water coming out, it is considered as done.

• For mint yoghurt sauce, just chopped some mint leaves and add to the plain yoghurt. If you can stand the tanginess, can add few drops of lemon to enhance the taste.  Tandoori chicken is usually served with lemon slices and some sliced red onion.

• In a pan, put the ghee and sauté the red onion until soft and aromatic. Add the spice powders (turmeric, coriander, chilli and garam masala)  and stir fry until aromatic. Add the tomato paste and tomato puree. If the paste is too thick, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of plain water to loosen the spice mix.

• Add the yoghurt and bring to boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium,  add the grilled tandoori chicken (deboned) or boneless tikka chicken chunks. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Before off the heat , add chopped coriander leaves, salt, sugar and drizzle with additional lemon juice. Best to let the chicken rest in the pan for at least 1 hour before serving with white rice or naan or other Indian rotis.

CONCLUSION

Tandoori chicken is not difficult to prepare and to me, what you need is just some time for marinating. Why pay more at the restaurant if you can easily prepare at home. I know local readers may not be familiar with tikka masala, but trust me, the dish are nice though it tastes slightly different from our curry chicken as there is no coconut milk being used.

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