Tandoori Chicken

[JerryM]

is anyone regularly using a pukka recipe.

a mid week offer too good to pass has got me frequenting my local restaurant in preference to my fav TA.

it's surprising the variations.

one thing that has really caught my eye is tandoori chicken. i've always been disappointed in the past when it's served on the bone. this restaurant for main dishes: marinates bone meat, bbq cook then hand strips the meat (much akin to the kebab chicken post).

my starting point will be KD1 but adding in what i know from tikka.

any pointer to fast track the search much appreciated. for info for me tikka and tandoori marinades are different.

[peterandjen]

I'm still using the F'words lasan recipe from here, funnily enough ive just knocked a batch up only without the yoghurt, as i ran out.
For me its a perfect flavour.

[JerryM]

peterandjen,

never run out of yogurt - store it as ice cubes - works a treat.

i too still use the lasan although i think my preference is now for the "pataks" ifindforu tikka. for me the lasan is a tikka recipe - for the life of me i can't describe the difference in taste - tandoori/tikka. there is so much written and said about them being the same so perhaps it may be in some places. for me the simple difference of bone and breast meat is well short.

i think you are saying tandoori as tikka with the yogurt taken out is worth a try. i must admit i've never tried not using yogurt as i'm sold on it contributing to the tenderising of the meat. it may just be that i already only use a small amount (2 off ice cube per 1 kg or 30ml).

i'm sure there is a difference in the spice mix. my wife has tikka whilst i have the stripped tandoori in the restaurant and there is a definite difference in the spicing.

[peterandjen]

Hi Jerry, i don't know how to describe the difference between tikka and tandoori, only size and the lack of bones in tikka i suppose, for me anyway.
Despite a short marinade of 4 hours and no yoghurt in the mix, the tandoori turned out pretty good, very edible.

For me, the flavour i get from the lasan recipe when done as per destructions, is exactly the same as i remember the flavour of a really good Tandoori chicken leg from a Balti house i used to use in Brum years ago (Hall Green Tandoori, just oposite Ghandi's on the Stratford rd). It really is spot on for me. And besides that i just love the recipe, its a pain in the aristocracy to prepare but well worth the work involved.
Makes a nice naan sarnie with some rabbit food thrown in and a dribble of mint dip too.
Maybe Tikka is slightly less spiced as it is used in context with a sauce ie a main course curry. Whereas Tandoori is mainly served as a starter.
I'll remember that tip about freezing yoghurt, never tried it before, do you know if you can freeze Greek yoghurt, i use the low fat version 5% or something.

[Peripatetic Phil]

i too still use the lasan although i think my preference is now for the "pataks" ifindforu tikka. for me the lasan is a tikka recipe - for the life of me i can't describe the difference in taste - tandoori/tikka. there is so much written and said about them being the same so perhaps it may be in some places. for me the simple difference of bone and breast meat is well short.

For me, they are as different as chalk and cheese (well, perhaps more accurately, as different as Cheddar cheese and Brie de Meaux) -- tikka is an intensely delicate culinary experience, tandoori is far more robust.

i'm sure there is a difference in the spice mix. my wife has tikka whilst i have the stripped tandoori in the restaurant and there is a definite difference in the spicing.

I would definitely go along with that, although I am confident that not all restaurants spice the two differently.

Maybe Tikka is slightly less spiced as it is used in context with a sauce ie a main course curry. Whereas Tandoori is mainly served as a starter.

This may be a regional difference, but for me, in the South-East of England, Chicken Tikka is more common as a starter whilst Tandoori Chicken is more common as a main course.  And from a purely personal perspective, I don't associate Chicken Tikka with any sauce other than the yellow or green mint raita that usually accompanies it; certainly not with a curry sauce.

** Phil.

[JerryM]

peterandjen,

don't see why the greek yogurt should not freeze. i use the asda smart price yogurt.

given what you say on the lasan and thinking more about it i'll add it to the KD1 as the starting point. i am looking for a restaurant tandoori taste and the lasan certainly does that for me as tikka.

ps have only really been to alum rock and a few in town. not even been to sparkbrook - i keep promising myself

[JerryM]

made small size batch 1 - not bad but still work in  progress.

am converted to peterandjen's idea of leaving the yogurt out - spot on idea.


garlic 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp)
salt 2.5
black cumin 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp)
mustard oil 7.5 ml
lime juice 15 ml
tandoori pwdr 1.25 ml

going to up x2 the tandoori powder on the next go.

also the marinade looked very thin (down to no yogurt) and something i just can't imagine would exist in BIR - may try adding a small amount of puree perhaps.

[George]

mustard oil 7.5 ml

The F word Lasan recipe uses Mustard Oil as well, and I guess you're fed it if you actually go to the Lasan restaurant, or perhaps thousands of other BIRs.

But, under the recipe, they cover themselves by saying:

"The EU doesn't recommend the use of mustard oil in cooking so we would recommend you use ghee or another oil as an alternative."

[peterandjen]

I add a tsp of mustard oil to the usual veg oil in every curry i make, it definately adds to the dish, personally i think it seems to bring out more flavour from the spices. Whatever, i can tell the difference if i leave it out, it seems something is missing.
But then i'm still convinced mustard oil is the missing ingredient everyones looking for, hence im happy with my curries and feel no need to search.
Thats a different topic though and its been covered loads of times here so i'll leave it at that.

[JerryM]

George,

i add mustard oil as std to all tikka that i make (and have done so for some time). the heath issues are not a concern.

i don't use it for anything else other than of course now tandoori.

peterandjen,

i do keep thinking of trying a little mustard oil in base but my local TA start each dish from the oil on the top of the base. although i've tasted the base i've not tasted the oil. given your comment might have to give it more priority.