Charcoal-Smoked Tandoori Chicken with Mint Chutney

Method

1. Line a sieve with muslin or a paper towel, add the yogurt and leave it in the fridge for 2 h to drain. It shrinks to about half and turns thick like cream cheese, so the marinade clings in a thick layer instead of sliding off, and the outside chars properly.

   Add in this stepPlain yogurt (to be strained) 280 g

2. Skin the chicken legs, pat them dry and cut 3 slashes 1 cm deep down to the bone in each. Grate the ginger and garlic to a paste and rub it into the slashes with about two-thirds of the lemon juice, half the salt and half the chilli powder. Leave at room temperature for 30 min. Wash your hands and tools straight after handling raw chicken.

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken legs, skin removed 700 gLemon juice 1.4 tbspSalt ½ tspKashmiri chilli powder ¾ tspFresh ginger 15 gGarlic cloves 4

3. Toast the gram flour in a dry 18 cm pan over medium-low heat for 2 min, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns light beige, then tip it into a bowl. Pour the mustard oil into the same pan and heat on medium-high heat for 1 min, just until it starts to smoke, then turn off the heat and let it cool; this tames its sharp raw bite.

   Add in this stepGram flour (besan / chickpea flour) 2 tbspMustard oil 1½ tbsp

   medium-low heat→medium-high heat

4. Mix the strained yogurt with the toasted gram flour, cooled oil, garam masala, cumin, black pepper, crushed kasuri methi, the rest of the chilli powder, more salt and the cream to a thick paste. Coat the chicken heavily, filling every slash, cover and refrigerate for 12 h (overnight, at least 6 hours).

   Add in this stepGaram masala 1 tspGround roasted cumin 1 tspGround black pepper ½ tspKasuri methi 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder ¾ tspSalt ¼ tspDouble (heavy) cream 1½ tbsp

5. Take the chicken out 30 minutes before cooking. Set a shelf on the second-highest level and preheat the oven (oven) to 250 °C for a full 25 min. Put a wire rack on a foil-lined tray.

   oven

6. Space the chicken out on the rack and roast on the 30×25 cm tray for 16 min (oven). Brush generously with melted ghee, turn and roast 10 min more, until the edges are charred black in places; use the top grill (broiler) for the last 2–3 minutes if needed. Always check the thickest part by the bone reaches 75 °C.

   Add in this stepGhee 21 g

   oven

7. Charcoal smoke (dhungar): hold a piece of lump charcoal with tongs directly over a gas flame on high heat for 6 min until it glows red. Move the chicken into a lidded 26 cm pot and set a small steel bowl in the middle. Put the hot coal in the bowl, add the cloves, pour over the remaining ghee and, as soon as it smokes, clap on the lid and leave for 3 min. Open a window, and drown the used coal in water until it is completely out.

   Add in this stepGhee 9 gCloves 1

   high heat

8. Blend the mint, coriander, green chilli, chutney yogurt, the remaining lemon juice and salt with 1–2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Slice the red onion into thin rings and serve with the chicken and chutney.

   Add in this stepMint leaves 15 gFresh coriander (cilantro) 15 gGreen chilli 1Plain yogurt for the chutney 80 gLemon juice 0.6 tbspSalt ¼ tspRed onion ½