What makes tandoori red

Most Indian restaurants have a Tandoor, but if you are in Chicago and really want to see one up close, sign up with a group of friends to take a walking tour with me of little India, or Devon. The deep, clay fiery ovens were always used to make Indian breads like naan , but with the opening of Moti Mahal Restaurant in Delhi, the playing field changed forever.

The owner of this now-famous restaurant, Lala Kundan Lal Gujral, actually took marinated chicken for the first time and cooked it to perfection deep in this type of oven. Soon, butter and tandoori chicken was to become famous among the elites in Delhi and all over the world. The marinade on this chicken also has an interesting history. That bright red sadly comes from Food Dyes like Red Growing up, I never even realized this, but in recent years when I picked up a jar of pre-mixed Tandoori spice blend and read the ingredients — there it was — Red 40 right in the ingredient listing.

Instead, use the blend below, which gets it beautiful hue from red chiles, paprika, and turmeric. And always remember, these masalas spice blends differ depending on your preferences.

Change it up as you like! Mix occasionally so the smaller seeds do not burn. Once cooled, transfer to a high-power blender, Vita Mix, or coffee grinder reserved for spices. Take your time and grind down into a fine powder. Put this mixture into a large bowl. Add powdered spices ginger, garlic, turmeric, nutmeg, and paprika.

Mix well. I use a whisk to make sure everything blends. Tandoori chicken is generally served as a starter or appetizer, so you can enjoy it with mint chutney. Other than that, you can try it with paratha or spicy flavored rice as well. Since the traditional homemade Indian food is based on natural ingredients, we only prefer chilies and cooking techniques to achieve the right colors for the dishes.

But there are restaurants and local eateries that make use of additional colors to make some of their dishes more appetizing. Meanwhile, if you have any queries related to this topic, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Excellent info. I am pleased that the red colors I often see in tandoori or Indian curries are natural colors but I would be skeptical about restaurant foods. Beetroot juice — so natural!!

Thank you. Your email address will not be published. Wondering why tandoori chicken is red? Whenever you order this dish from a restaurant, it always looks fiery red. Why does this dish have to be so red in color? I know you must be curious to know more about this dish and its color. Why Is Tandoori Chicken Pink? This tandoori chicken recipe is succulent and full of flavour.

If you like this recipe, you might like to check out my garlic and coriander tandoori chicken recipe too. Ingredients 12 free range chicken thighs skinned and left on the bone Juice of two lemons 1 tablespoon salt red food colouring optional 2 cups plain yogurt 2 tablespoons garlic puree 1 tablespoon ginger puree 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 green chillies finely chopped 1 bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped Instructions Remove the skin from the chicken thighs.

Using a sharp knife, make three slits in each thigh. This is done so that the thighs marinate better. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the chicken thighs and sprinkle with the salt and let sit while you make the marinade.

You should also add a couple drops of food colouring at this stage if using. Place all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine paste. Cover the chicken pieces with the marinade and rub it with your hands deep into the flesh of the chicken. Allow to marinaded for six hours or up to 48 hours - the longer the better.

When ready to cook, build a log fire in a kettle barbecue for best results. The flavour of the burning wood together with the marinated chicken is phenomenal! You are ready to grill when you can hold your hand two inches above the grill without it being unbearably hot. On a gas barbecue, set the grill to medium high heat. Cook the tandoori chicken turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are blackened.

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I like to serve tandoori chicken with saffron rice and a green salad. I also use it in my restaurant style BIR curries instead of using pre-cooked chicken done the curry house way. Dan, this looks like a total winner! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you do get a chance to try it. I learnt this recipe from my mother in law whilst I visited the punjab.

Apart from the amount of salt its more or less the same as her secret recipe. The best as far as I concerned. Your fans will love it,.