Cancel the Chicken Tandoori!
Chef Pawan Kumar's Chicken Tangdi, made with marinated chicken drumsticks that are shallow fried to perfection, will become your new family favourite.
Serve with mint chutney, on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnished with onion rings and fried green and red chillies and it can become lunch. Use the same recipe to make a tasty paneer preparation.
Also try Chef Kumar's Mutton Gilafi Kebabs.
Chicken Tangdi
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks, washed and cleaned
- 1 cup thick dahi or yoghurt or hung curd
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp neebu or lemon juice
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin powder
- 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Oil or butter for cooking the chicken
- 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, optional
- Small bunch green and red lettuce leaves, to plate
- Onion rings, to garnish
- Fried red and green chillies, to garnish
- 1 neebu or lemon, cut into half, to garnish
- Mint chutney, to serve
- Cling wrap or aluminum foil
Method
- Make deep gashes on the drumsticks using a sharp knife.
This will help the marinade penetrate deeper and flavour the chicken better. - In a large mixing bowl, combine the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, red chilly powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, vegetable oil.
Mix well to form a smooth marinade.
Add in the drumsticks and ensure they are well-coated with the marinade.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap or aluminum foil and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for best results. - Take the marinated drumsticks out from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Fry the chicken for a few minutes, flipping occasionally, until cooked through and has a nice, charred exterior and then take off heat.
Brush them with a little oil or butter to keep them moist.
You could fry the lemon halves as well, so they get a charred flavour too. - Alternately, grill the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes or till cooked, in a microwave or grill, flipping and basting with melted butter instead of oil, and then take out of the oven or off the grill.
- Transfer the fried or grilled chicken to a serving platter lined with the lettuce leaves.
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
Arrange the lemon halves, green chillies, red chillies, onion rings on the platter (please see the pic above).
Serve hot with mint chutney.
Editor's Note: Vegetarians can utilise the marinade and technique for grilled or pan-fried paneer. Instead of 6 chicken drumsticks, use ½ kg paneer and follow the same recipe steps.
Chef Pawan Kumar is the executive chef at The Park, Navi Mumbai.
