Tandoori chicken recipe

This tender and aromatic tandoori chicken recipe is so easy to do and is ready in just over an hour.

Like all great Indian dishes, this recipe is a British favourite. Combining tender meat with delicately balanced spice mixed baked in a yoghurt marinade. A tandoor is actually a traditional kind of clay oven, but you don't need one here. We've simply roasted the chicken in the oven. You can serve this chicken with almost anything - even a roast dinner. But we like it best with a creamy yoghurt dip like this cucumber raita, and some naan bread.

Ingredients

• 4 large part-boned chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 7.5cm (3in) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250ml (8fl oz) plain yogurt

For the raita:

• 200ml (7fl oz) plain yogurt
• ¼ cucumber, chopped
• 1 tbs chopped fresh mint leaves

To serve:

• 8 mini Peshwari naan breads (we used Sharwood’s), toasted
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Cut a few deep slashes in the chicken and season generously. Put into a shallow, non-metallic dish.
2. Put the lemon juice, garlic, ginger, paprika, garam masala, oil and yogurt into a food processor and blend to make a smooth paste.
3. Spread the paste over the chicken and leave to marinate for a couple of hours, to allow flavours to penetrate.
4. Set the oven to 200°C/400ºF/Gas 6. Roast the tandoori chicken for 40 mins until golden and the juices run clear.
5. To make the raita: Mix together the yogurt, cucumber, mint leaves and seasoning. Serve chicken with the raita and lemon wedges, and toasted naan bread, if liked.

Top tip for making tandoori chicken

If you want it as pink as those served in the Indian restaurants, add red food colouring to the yogurt paste.

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