Diary

Thanksgiving is a time to spend hanging with the fam and grubbing on delicious food. Sachin and Babi and their 2 kids did a lot of both this past weekend.

While spending the Holiday in Washington D.C., the brood feasted on Tandoori Turkey, perused the Air and Space Museum and visited the Smithsonian to check out Julia Child's kitchen and Dorothy’s ruby slippers. It was a fun, family-filled weekend but as Dorothy says, "There's no place like home."

Psst - Tandoori isn't merely a holiday treat. Sub the turkey for a whole chicken and you've got yourself a serious Friday night feast. Babi's favorite Tandoori Chicken recipe comes courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey:

1.25kg/2½lb chicken pieces (legs and/or breasts) skinned

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp lemon juice

For the marinade:

450ml/¾pt plain yoghurt
½ onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1-2 hot green chillies, roughly sliced
2 tsp garam masala
lime or lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Cut each chicken leg into two pieces and each breast into four pieces. Make two deep slits crossways on the meaty parts of each leg and breast piece. The slits should not start at an edge and should be deep enough to reach the bone. Spread the chicken pieces out on two large platters. Sprinkle one side with half the salt and half the lemon juice and rub them in. Turn the pieces over and repeat on the second side. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the marinade: combine the yoghurt, onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and garam masala in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the paste through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing through as much liquid as you can.

3. Put the chicken and all its accumulated juices into the bowl with the marinade. Rub the marinade into the slits in the meat, then cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature and set a shelf in the top third of the oven where it is hottest.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and spread them out in a single layer on a large, shallow, baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Lift the chicken pieces out of their juices and serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Serves 4

Madhur Jaffrey's Tandoori-Style Chicken recipe from here.