Hi

I am fortunate enough to have a tandoori and have been taught tandoori cooking in 2 restaurant kitchens.
I am afraid both restaurants used pataks paste mixed with yogurt in approximately 3:2 pataks to yogurt.
They add no extra colorants as the paste itself is very vivid.
i am certain very few modern restaurants make their own marinades.

1 restaurant used pataks tikka paste for its tikka and the other pataks tandoori marinade.
that is why the tikka is either yellow/brown or a vivid red.
It is marinaded for about 5-6 hours

Each breast of chicken is cut lengthways into 2/3 strips depending on the size and is threaded down the skewer vertically.
The chicken is removed from the skewer when it is cooled and then is cut into the small slices.

the chicken is usually cooked much earlier in the day and cut when required in the dish.
The chicken is not usually cooked during the evening rush as the tandoor requires a lower heat for the naans.
sometimes sheek kebab is cooked along with the naans.

The tikka used for a starter is cut into slices brush coated in a small amount of oil and microwaved for about 40 seconds.
This is then served piping hot.
The colour tends to spread with the oil in the microwave.

I have spent numerous hours in the past making my own marinades, none of them tasted as good as the pataks paste mixed with yogurt

paul

yes

all the tandoori cooking naans, keema naan, pehwari naan , sheek kebak , shami kebab.

also chicken jalfrezi but not the base sauce.
am trying to get the jalfrezi to perfection then i will post it.

how much does a tandoor oven cost to buy?

Well thats my birthday present sorted then!

;D

Chicken chatt for 1

ingredients a few small pieces tikka chiken cut into small bits 1 cm cubed.
2 or 3 tablespoons of chopped onion- not really fine.
1 teaspoon of spice blend/curry powder
half teaspoon of chatt masala(if you do not have this use another half teaspoon cury powder- it is really not that important and is horrible if over used)
1 and a half teaspoon pureed mango chutney.
half portion of curry gravy (the sort that contains not to much garlic ginger and not too much tomato such as the brick lane version on this site).
2 tablespoons of vegetable ghee.
a few pieces of chopped cucumber(optional)
chopped coriander.
1 chapatti.
side garnish

heat the vegetable ghee and fry the onions until they are light yellow.
then add the curry powder/chatt masala.
cook for about 10 seconds and drop in a ladle of diluted curry gravy.
whilst this is evaporating stir in the chicken and mango chutney and cucumber.

cook until evaporated and add in the rest of the sauce.

cook for 5 more minutes.

in the last minute put the chappatti into a chip fryer and cook for about 30 seconds. this is known as a puri.
serve the chaat onto the puri and scatter coriander over the chaat.

serve with side salad.

Depending on the style of your base sauce you may wish to add a very small amount of tomato puree at the start with the spice powder. Do not add extra garlic or ginger.
you may add more mango puree if required.

do not use mango power in replace of the mango puree it is ghastly stuff.

I personally avoid the cucumber but most curry houses seem to have it in theirs.