Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken was perfected in the tandoor ovens of Peshawar and Delhi, where it was roasted over burning coals until the outside turned a dramatic charred red. The recipe made its way to the West in the mid-twentieth century, becoming one of the first Indian dishes foreigners learned to love. At home, a hot oven or grill stands in for the clay tandoor, but the marinade does the real work.

Charred, smoky, and impossibly juicy

A thick yogurt marinade spiked with ginger, garlic, chili, and a tangle of warm spices seeps into the scored chicken, keeping the meat succulent through the fierce heat. The charred edges carry that smoky, almost grilled flavor that makes tandoori chicken unmistakable, while the inside stays tender and moist. Squeeze lemon over the top and eat it with mint chutney and onions, the way it is meant to be eaten. The leftovers are wonderful chopped into a salad or tucked into a wrap the next day.

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