BBQ Chicken (Tandoori Chicken) with Pineapple salad and Grilled Red Potatoes

Tonight's Menu

BBQ Chicken (Tandoori Chicken)

Pineapple Salad

Grilled Red Potatoes

Wine Pairing: Merlot, Riesling

BBQ Chicken with Pineapple Salad 

Summertime means barbecue time. If you are gassing up your grill this summer here are some ideas. All of the grilling recipes that I will post in the coming weeks will work both at home in your backyard or at a picnic.
While selecting wines for BBQ think "Big - full bodied, low alcohol content and fruity ; Bold - fruity, spicy or peppery after taste with good acidity; and Smooth" (source). 

Enjoy the outdoors and enjoy the food, Happy Summer -- cheers.

Tandoori chicken with pineapple salad

Tandoori Chicken

A fave all over the world this succulent dish was created by Kundan lal Gujral in 1947 as a feature dish for his restaurant 'Moti Mahal' in Delhi, India. An instant hit tandoori chicken contributed significantly in putting India on the World's food map. Chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices and grilled in tandoor (a clay oven fired with wood or charcoal). Its mostly served as an appetizer or a dinner accompaniment along with mint chutney and raw onions.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

8-10 Chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken quarters skinless

salt to taste

1 tbsp lime juice 

1/4 cup plain thick yogurt or hung yogurt

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1-2 tsp Kashmiri mirch (hot chili powder so amount is optional)

2 heaped tbsp Tandoori masala (recipe)

1 tbsp oil

Extra oil or butter for basting

Chaat masala and lime juice to serve

1. Clean and dry the chicken legs and make 2 diagonal slits on the meaty part. This allows the marinade to permeate inside. Make a mixture of salt and lime juice. Smear this mixture all over the chicken paying special attention to the slits. Keep aside while you prepare the marinade. 
2. Marinade -- In a large bowl combine yogurt with all other ingredients including oil. Mix well and marinate the chicken in this mixture. Its best to use your hands so that you can work the marinade well all around and inside the slits. Cover and marinate the chicken overnight or a minimum of 6 hours in the fridge. 
3. Grill in the barbecue -- Preheat your BBQ to 375 F. Place the marinated chicken on the grill. Grill should be hot enough to make a sizzling sound when chicken is placed on it. Close the lid and cook for 15-18 minutes undisturbed. Open the grill and turn the chicken. You can baste it at this point with oil or butter. Cover again for 5-7 minutes. Check to ensure that chicken has cooked fully from inside. Remove from heat. 
4. Grill in the oven -- preheat your oven on grill at high setting (400-450F) and place the rack on the top position. Prepare a grill pan with aluminum foil and grease the wire mesh on top. The pan underneath will catch all the drippings. Place the chicken on the wire mesh and grill on high undisturbed for 20 minutes. Take out he pan and turn the chicken and cook further for 7-10 minutes till the chicken is fully cooked and sizzling. 
5. Serve hot with lime juice and a pinch of chaat masala sprinkled on top. 

Pineapple salad

Pineapple Salad
Ingredients: (serves 4)
Pineapple in bite sized chunks
Red pepper chunks
Yellow pepper chunks
Red onion chopped
Handful fresh coriander chopped
Handful fresh mint chopped
Jalapeno peppers chopped
salt to taste
lime juice
Combine all the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to blend in the flavors. 

Grilled Red Potato
Follow this recipe, just substitute white potato with red potato. Do not peel the skin. Grill in the oven or BBQ.