I found this recipe that I’d made years ago and can’t believe it hadn’t made it to my food blog—baked tandoori-style chicken is low carb, aromatic, and a great alternative to summer’s barbecue flavors.
Tandoori Chicken
10 servings of 4 ounces each // 172 calories, 3 grams net carbs
2 ½ pounds chicken pieces drums and/or breast
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lemon
½ inch root ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 fresh green chili, coarsely chopped and seeded if a milder flavor is required
2 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
3 ounces organic probiotic Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Remove skin from the chicken and cut each piece into two. With a sharp knife, make 2-3 slits in each piece. Rub salt and lemon juice into the chicken pieces and set aside for half an hour.
Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves and the yogurt into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.
Pour and spread the marinade all over the chicken, especially into the slits. Cover the container with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for 6-8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a roasting tin with foil (this will help to maintain the high level of heat required to cook the chicken) and arrange the chicken pieces in it.
Place the roasting tin in the center of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the pieces over carefully as they brown and basting with juice in the roasting tin as well as any remaining marinade. Test internal temperature and do not stop cooking until it reaches 165 degrees. For a more blackened surface, broil for a few minutes. Remove from the oven. Lift each piece with a pair of tongs and shake off any excess liquid.
Fill half of each plate with a big spinach salad, a quarter with curried cauliflower-rice, and the remainder with 3-4 ounces of tandoori chicken.