Feeds: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (or 8-12 drumsticks/4-6 whole legs/ 4-6 breasts)
2 C mint, loosely chopped
2 C coriander, loosely chopped
1 green chili (2 if you like more heat)
1/2 C plain dahi, balkan or greek yogurt
1 tbsp tamarind sauce (if you can't find tamarind sauce, use 1 tbsp of lemon juice + 1 tsp honey or mango nectar/juice)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp salt
*adjust to taste
Instructions:
1. Make marinade ahead of time. Preferably the night before so you can really get the flavours to take.
2. In blender or food processor, mix together coriander, mint and green chili into fine paste. I used to think this was impossible or I that just had a really terrible blender. Trick here is to add a couple of tablespoons of the yogurt to add extra moisture without diluting the flavour of the marinade. Magic bullets blenders are great for this.
3. Add yogurt, tamarind sauce and spices and pulse until blended. Reserve some of this sauce to serve with dinner. And to reapply to meat if you are BBQing or baking.
4. Marinade chicken pieces for at least 1hr (or overnight if you are planning ahead) in a plastic bag, remembering to remove the excess air so that the marinade presses right against the meat. The smaller the pieces, the faster the flavours marinate through. So if you are cutting the chicken into kebob sizes, marinade for 30min; whole chickens need a bit more time so I recommend marinating overnight. Also best for flavour, remove the chicken skin first. It's not necessary so if you're lazy and can't be bothered, it's fine.
5. Options for cooking:
- BBQ (this works for any cut of chicken but make sure you use a rotisserie spit if doing chicken whole to ensure even cooking. Chicken needs to be cooked to internal temperature of 165F at thickest part of breast; 180F at thickest part of leg)
- bake in oven** (at 350F)
- pan fry on skillet or cast iron plate on medium high; do this only for boneless cuts of meat
6. Serve with roasted veggies, naan, rice, salad. Really serve it with whatever you want.
**If you are baking the chicken whole, cut the lemon ito wedges and stuff into the cavity of the chicken for moisture. I'd also recommend pre-heating the oven to 450F and first baking the chicken for 10-15m to get a nice crust around the outside, then dropping the temp to 350F and baking until the chicken is fully cooked. Rule of thumb is usually 20min of cooking/lb but make sure you check the internal temperature. That's the only way to know if the chicken is cooked through. Don't be a hero and eat undercooked chicken. You'll get sick and somebody will be probably be sad.
