Remove the skin, possible fat from the chicken thighs and wash well

Make incisions in the flesh and at the joints of the chicken thighs with a sharp knife as shown below and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients under the list “First marinade” and stir well to a paste.

Now rub the above paste onto the chicken and also into the slits. The chicken must be coated well with the first marinade.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

For the Second Marinade, put all the ingredients under the list “Second marinade” one after the other in a bowl and stir well.

First add all the dry ingredients to the yoghurt, mix well and then add ginger garlic paste. Finally add finely chopped mint and coriander and give it a nice stir.

After 30 minutes of first marination, add the chicken thighs one by one into the bowl with second marinade and toss so that all the pieces are well coated with the yoghurt marinate.

Cover the bowl again and put it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours to marinate. Overnight marination works great as all the flavours are infused well into the tender chicken meat.

You can either make the Tandoori chicken in the traditional way in a clay oven, which is highly impossible for many of us or use a gas grill or charcoal grill or in an oven.

I usually do it on a grill (during summer) or a normal oven (during winters). Today I’m using my Weber gas grill for this.

Preheat the grill to 200 degree celsius and place the chicken thighs over the grill and close the lid and cook turning sides in between till the chicken is cooked and you get a nice charred crisp layer.

Place the chicken onto the grill racks and allow it to cook covered for 20 minutes on the first side.

Baste the chicken often. Turn it and allow it to cook for about ten minutes on the second side or until it is done.

Note that these times are suggestions--actual cooking time will depend on the grill temperature.

NOTE: If using an Oven, preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until almost cooked through. Towards the end slightly increase the temperature to get a charred and crisp outer layer, Baste with butter and cook for 8 more minutes. The time depends on the size of the chicken pieces and the temperature. If you cut them to smaller pieces, it takes lesser time. So please be careful in estimating the doneness. Personally, I would suggest you to cut each chicken thigh to 2 or 3 pieces if using an oven.

Sprinkle with chaat masala (optional) and serve Tandoori Chicken With Mint coriander Relish with onion rings and lemon wedges. You can use all your favourites to garnish and serve.