Iftar recipe of the day: Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken incorporates all the flavours we love

Whether you want to host a dinner party or just prepare a simple but hearty meal for iftar, roast chicken never fails to satisfy. The trick to a good roast, whatever flavour we choose to cook with is a moist juicy chicken -- nicely caramelised on the outside and tender on the inside.

Tandoori chicken incorporates all the flavors we love; cooked in yogurt and spices, it is tangy, rich and delicious. The lovely sticky juices that collect in the bottom of the pan during roasting make the most wonderful gravy to complement the chicken. Serve with a crunchy bread salad and potatoes (mashed, roast or fried, whichever you prefer).

Enjoy roasting.

Ingredients:
6 portions chicken – legs and thighs
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 lime or lemon
1 2 inch piece of ginger cut into cubes
4-5 cloves of garlic halved

Dry spices

½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon paprika – if available
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder

Method for the chicken: 
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
Roast the spices in a frying pan for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Blend all ingredients, including the lemon juice and melted butter, using a hand blender or a food processor until you get a smooth paste.
Score the chicken with a knife and marinate in the spice mixture.
Refrigerate for at least an hour or a few hours if there is time.
Once marinated for at least an hour, place the chicken onto a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes to an hour enclosed in foil.
Remove the foil in the last 10 minutes to get a nice colour on the chicken.
Dress with the juices collected in the roasting tray.