Tandoori chicken

Here, Yasmin reveals how to make one of her favourite dishes.

RECIPE

Everyone loves Tandoori chicken. Spicy, succulent and aromatic, it makes a deeply satisfying meal when accompanied by flat breads, salad and a fresh chutney. It’s traditionally cooked in a clay oven, but you can get lovely results in a domestic oven on a high heat.

INGREDIENTS

1½ tbsp natural yoghurt

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp ajwan seeds

½ tsp chilli A good grinding of black pepper Salt to taste

2 chicken quarters, skinless (I prefer leg portions)

1 Put the yoghurt into a bowl large enough to hold the chicken portions.

2 Lightly crush the ajwan seeds in a pestle and mortar, or with the back of a spoon on a flat surface. Add these and all of the other spices to the yoghurt and mix well. The resulting paste will have a lovely aroma and a beautiful colour.

3 Coat the chicken in the paste, making sure you get into every nook and cranny. Marinade it for at least 2 hours – or up to 24 hours for a deeper flavour.

4 When you’re ready to cook, heat your oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7. 5 Remove the excess marinade from the chicken leaving a thin layer. If you cook the chicken in all of the yoghurt marinade, it will separate in the oven.

6 Cook the chicken for about 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. It should be golden on the outside and thoroughly cooked but moist on the inside.