Tandoori Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 300 g flour
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 4 chicken thighs (or bone‑in breast pieces)
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice
• 0.5 tsp chili powder
• Salt
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1 cm)
• 300 g yogurt
• 2 Garlic cloves
• cumin (1 tsp ground each)
• coriander (1 tsp ground each)
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg (macis)
• 0.25 tsp turmeric
• 0.25 tsp ajwain
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the skin from the chicken pieces, cut through the joints of the thighs again (cut breast pieces lengthwise once). Wash and pat dry. Make 3 to 4 deep slits in each piece. Mix lemon juice, ¼ tsp chili powder and a pinch of salt; rub this mixture into the meat and marinate for 15 minutes.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile peel and finely chop the ginger, add it to the yogurt. Peel the garlic and squeeze it in. Stir in the remaining spices, adding food coloring if desired. Spread the yogurt mixture over the chicken, rubbing well into the slits, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

3. 3.

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a tray with foil and place the chicken pieces on it; season with pepper. Roast in the oven (middle rack, fan‑forced 160 °C) for 40 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Serve garnished with lemon wedges and parsley, accompanied by fresh chapati bread.

4. 4.

   Combine flour and water gradually to form a dough. Knead until smooth, then wrap in foil and rest for an hour. Roll into a log, divide into 12 portions, roll each into thin discs about 15 cm across. Heat a pan with ghee; cook the chapatis on both sides over medium heat until small brown spots appear.