Aarti Sequeira Shares Her Favorite Recipes

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

A yogurt-based marinade with plenty of garlic, ginger and cloves, as well as spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, makes this a bold dish with a tapestry of flavors.

Yields 4 to 6 Servings

Active cooking time: 20 minutes

Prep time: 60 minutes to overnight

“When I was packing my suitcase for Northwestern, my mum tucked a jar of her homemade tandoori masala [marinade spice mix] into a corner — ‘in case you ever have a craving,’ she said. It was her way of sending a piece of her with me. That year, I managed to cook up a batch for my boyfriend, Brendan McNamara ’00, who is now my husband, and then another batch for my best friends on Dillo Day. She was right. I can’t live without it! 

“First, DON’T FREAK OUT. There are a LOT of ingredients here, yes I know. That’s why this qualifies as something of a special occasion dish, something we’d make for big cookouts with lots of family coming over. And it’s worth it: This makes the most flavorful tandoori chicken I’ve ever had. And I don’t boast too often. The name of this dish derives from the Hindi name for the oven used to cook the chicken: the tandoor. These days, a broiler does fine, although it’s wonderful on the grill, too!”

Marinade Ingredients:

2 dried guajillo chiles (or 2 chiles d’arbol, and more paprika for color)

5 whole cloves

2 green cardamom, green husks discarded, black seeds retained

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons malt vinegar or lime juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup canola oil or peanut oil

1 cup whole fat plain yogurt

8 cloves garlic, minced

2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced

½ cup water

1 teaspoon honey

Plus:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 12 thighs

Couple of extra limes for garnish

Cooking Instructions:

• Toast the whole chiles, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cloves and cardamom seeds in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan until fragrant (3 minutes or so). Throw into a spice grinder, and grind them until you get a fine powder.
   
• In a large bowl, whisk together the spice mixture, ground cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, malt vinegar/lime juice, salt, yogurt, garlic and ginger. It should smell amazing! Taste and adjust with more salt if it needs it. 
  
  
• Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you’re going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.
  
  
• Poke some holes in the chicken thighs with a fork. Add the thighs to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least one hour and, at most, overnight in the fridge.
  
  
• When you’re ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken thigh on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn’t swimming in it. Cook chicken thighs 4-5 inches under the broiler until mottled and starting to blacken (about 7 minutes). Then turn oven down to 350, and cook another 10 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the oven.
  
  
• While the chicken is cooking, pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan, along with 1/2 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking all the time, 5-6 minutes until thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.
  
  
• Serve the chicken thighs on a platter with a fresh squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of the sauce.