Tandoori Chicken

Method

1. Pull the skin off the chicken legs (grip it with a paper towel so it doesn't slip) and pat the meat dry. With a sharp knife cut 2 or 3 slashes about 1 cm deep, right down to the bone, across each piece so the marinade can soak in. Wash your hands, knife and board in hot soapy water after handling raw chicken.

   Add in this stepBone-in chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), skin removed 700 g

2. First marinade: put the chicken in a bowl, add the lemon juice, salt and half the chilli powder and rub it well into the slashes with your fingers. Leave for 20 min at room temperature; the acid and salt season the meat right to the bone.

   Add in this stepLemon juice 1½ tbspSalt ¾ tspKashmiri chilli powder ¾ tsp

3. Second marinade: finely grate the ginger and garlic and mix them with the yogurt, the rest of the chilli powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, the kasuri methi crushed between your palms, and the oil. Coat the chicken thickly, working it into every slash, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 h, ideally overnight (but no longer than 24 hours, or the yogurt turns the meat mushy).

   Add in this stepThick Greek yogurt 150 gFresh ginger 10 gGarlic cloves 3Garam masala 1 tspGround cumin ¾ tspGround coriander ¾ tspGround turmeric ¼ tspKasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder ¾ tspMustard oil or neutral oil 1½ tbsp

4. Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Put a shelf in the upper third of the oven and preheat it (oven) to 240 °C for 20 min. Line a baking tray with foil and set a wire rack on top: with the chicken raised, hot air reaches every side and it roasts instead of stewing.

   oven

5. Lay the pieces on the rack with gaps between them, letting excess marinade drip off but keeping a thick coating. Roast on the 30×25 cm tray for 22 min, until the coating has set and the edges are starting to brown.

6. Melt the ghee, brush it over the chicken, turn the pieces and roast 8 min more (oven). Then switch to the top grill (broiler), or turn the oven to its maximum, for 3 min until dark charred spots appear; watch closely so it doesn't burn. It is done when the thickest part next to the bone reaches 75 °C and the juices run clear, not pink.

   Add in this stepGhee (or melted butter) 15 g

   oven

7. Let it rest for 5 min so the juices settle. Meanwhile slice the red onion into thin rings and cut the lime into wedges. Serve the chicken with the onion and lime for squeezing.

   Add in this stepRed onion ½Lime 1