Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Tandoori Tangri Kebab
Tandoori Tangri Kebab (Chicken Legs with Chilli and Cheese Marinade)

Tandoori Tangri Kebab

Chicken Legs with Chilli and Cheese Marinade
Non-vegetarian

Tandoori tangri kebab is chicken drumsticks coated in a tangy lime-and-spice rub, then a rich cheese, yoghurt and cream marinade, and oven-roasted with a pepper butter baste. It tastes creamy, tangy and gently spicy, with a browned, savoury crust.

Chicken rub spices

2.9 gStirred into the lime juice and salt for the chicken (step 1)
01
2.2 g1 teaspoon
spice
02
0.7 g¼ teaspoon
spice blend
Stir into the lime juice and salt to make a loose paste.

Ginger-garlic paste for the marinade

30 gStirred into the cheese-yoghurt marinade (step 4)
01
Ginger garlic paste · Adrak Lahsun Paste(made from a 4 cm piece of fresh root ginger and 7 small garlic cloves)
30 g2 tablespoons
aromatic
Keep as a paste; stir it in with the coriander.

Basting pepper

2.3 gMixed into the melted butter for basting (step 8)
01
2.3 g1 teaspoon
spice
Keep coarsely ground; stir into the melted butter.

Everything else

01
50 g1 lime
fruit
02
1000 g10 drumsticks
poultry
03
25 g½ lemon
fruit
04
to taste
salt
05
Cheddar cheesegrated (you can also mix in some Swiss Gruyère, which will be quite melty and cling to the chicken)
90 g
dairy
06
2.7 g1 teaspoon
flour
07
45 g3 tablespoons
dairy
08
30 g30 ml
dairy
09
50 g1 egg
egg
10
1.5 g1 tablespoon
herb
11
28 g2 tablespoons
dairy

Method

  1. In a large bowl, stir 50 g lime juice, salt to taste and the chicken rub spices into a loose paste.
  2. Score 1000 g chicken drumsticks in a few places, add them to the bowl and turn to coat. Set aside.
  3. For the marinade, mix 90 g grated cheddar cheese, 2.7 g cornflour, 45 g greek yoghurt, 29.8 g double cream and 50 g egg until smooth.
  4. Stir the ginger-garlic paste for the marinade, 1.5 g chopped coriander leaves and salt to taste into the cheese mixture.
  5. Add the chicken pieces one at a time, turning them and working the marinade into the slashes.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours, or overnight.
  7. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F (gas mark 4).
  8. Mix 28.2 g melted butter with the basting pepper.
  9. Lift the chicken from the marinade and lay it on a wire rack over a baking tray. Cook for 30–35 minutes, until cooked through, brushing with the pepper butter two or three times.
  10. Sprinkle 25 g lemon juice over the hot chicken.

Don't have something?

Lime
  • Lemon

    Use the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.

  • Lemon juice

    Use about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Mild chilli powder
  • Mild paprika

    Use the same weight for colour and low heat; add a small pinch of hot chilli powder if needed.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use the same weight; similar colour, slightly more heat. Taste before adding more.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use half the weight and make up with mild paprika; red chilli powder is usually hotter.

Garam masala
  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% of the weight mixed with equal parts ground coriander and a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground green cardamom. Sprinkle near the end for a warming finish.

  • Lentil stew spice mix

    Use 75% of the weight. Simmer briefly in the gravy; imparts roasted warmth and complexity, though it adds a slight tang and earthy lentil undertone.

Chicken drumstick
  • Chicken leg

    Use the same weight; larger pieces, so add 5–10 minutes cooking time and check at the bone.

  • Chicken thigh

    Use the same weight; boneless thigh cooks faster by 5–10 minutes. More juicy and less bony.

  • Chicken pieces

    Use the same weight; choose bone-in pieces for similar richness. Adjust time by size.

Lemon
  • Lime

    Use the same weight or juice amount; sharper, so taste before adding all the juice.

  • Lemon juice

    Use about 45–50 ml for 1 lemon; add off the heat to keep the freshness.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 1 tsp for the juice of 1 lemon; add early. Sourness is flatter and less fresh.

Cheddar cheese
  • Processed cheese

    Use the same weight; grate or slice. Melts more smoothly but is saltier, so reduce added salt.

  • Cheese

    Use the same weight; choose a firm melting cheese and grate. Flavour varies with the cheese.

  • Paneer

    Use the same weight; grate or crumble. It will not melt like cheddar and is less salty; best where cheese is a filling rather than a melt.

Cornflour
  • Cornstarch

    Use the same weight. It is the same ingredient under another name and thickens or crisps in the same way.

  • Rice flour

    For coating and frying, use the same weight; it gives a crisper, slightly gritty crust. For thickening, use 1.5 times the weight and simmer a little longer.

  • Plain flour

    For coating, use the same weight. For thickening, use twice the weight and cook out for 2–3 minutes; it gives a softer, less glossy sauce.

Greek yoghurt
Double cream
  • Heavy cream

    Use the same weight; whips and cooks almost identically.

  • Single cream

    Use the same weight in cooking, but it will not whip; reduce other liquid slightly.

  • Clotted cream

    Use 80% of the weight; richer and thicker, good for serving but not for whipping.

Egg
  • Chickpea flour

    For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.

  • Full-fat natural yoghurt

    Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.

  • Tofu

    Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Ginger garlic paste
  • Ginger and garlic paste

    Use the same weight; the difference is only the order of the names.

  • Garlic paste

    Mix with an equal weight of ginger paste and use the same total weight.

  • Garlic

    For 20 g paste use about 10 g crushed garlic and 10 g grated ginger root with a splash of water. Add a little extra water if the dish looks dry.

Coriander leaves
  • Coriander (cilantro) or basil

    Use the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.

  • Basil leaves

    Use the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.

  • Coriander paste

    Use 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Butter
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.

  • Ghee

    Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Ghee is pure butterfat with moisture removed; it yields a deeper, nuttier flavour and handles high heat better.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

Black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use the same weight and crush or grind as the recipe needs; whole peppercorn is the same spice.

  • Ground black pepper

    Use the same weight; add nearer the end if the recipe calls for whole pepper, as ground loses aroma faster.

  • Ground white pepper

    Use about 75–80% of the weight; it is milder and earthier, with less bite.

Similar dishes

Haryali Murgh Tikka
Spiced Green Chicken Skewers with Mint, Coriander & Chilli
Haryali Murgh Tikka tastes herby and tangy from mint, coriander and lime with a green-chilli heat, whereas this dish tastes creamy and cheesy with a tangy lime-spice crust.
  • Same: Haryali Murgh Tikka shares with this dish a chicken marinade built on yoghurt, lime, garam masala, black pepper and ginger-garlic.
  • Different: Haryali Murgh Tikka uses chicken thigh and is grilled as skewers, while this dish uses chicken drumsticks and is oven-roasted; it adds mint, coriander leaf and stem, green bird’s-eye chilli, green bell pepper, turmeric and chaat masala, but lacks this dish’s cheddar cheese, double cream, egg, cornflour and pepper butter baste.
Cheese ke Bhajiya
Cheese Fritters
Cheese ke Bhajiya tastes crisp outside and melty-cheesy inside with warm spice, while this dish tastes creamy, tangy and gently spicy with a browned savoury crust.
  • Same: Cheese ke Bhajiya shares cheddar cheese, garam masala, egg, salt and black pepper with this dish.
  • Different: Cheese ke Bhajiya is a fried fritter batter made with self-raising flour, milk, baking powder and vegetable oil, while this dish is chicken drumsticks in a lime, yoghurt, cream, cheddar and egg marinade roasted with a pepper butter baste.
Murgh Malai Tikka
Creamy Chicken Skewers with Green Chilli & Coriander
Murgh Malai Tikka tastes rich and mildly tangy from vinegar and cream, with gentle green-chilli warmth and a chaat masala dust, compared with this dish's lime tang and browned butter-basted crust.
  • Same: Murgh Malai Tikka shares chicken, cheddar cheese, Greek yoghurt, double cream, cornflour or cornstarch, ginger, garlic, coriander and garam masala with this dish, and both use a creamy cheese-and-yoghurt marinade.
  • Different: Murgh Malai Tikka uses chicken thigh, malt vinegar, green bird's-eye chilli and chaat masala, lacks lime, lemon, egg, black pepper and the pepper butter baste, and is grilled on skewers rather than oven-roasted as drumsticks.
Tandoori Chicken Tikka
Tandoori Chicken Tikka tastes tangy, savoury and warmly spiced with char, while this dish is creamier and richer from cheese, cream and egg.
  • Same: Tandoori Chicken Tikka shares a yoghurt marinade, lime, garam masala, ginger, garlic, chicken and butter with this dish.
  • Different: Tandoori Chicken Tikka uses bite-size chicken thigh and is grilled, while this dish uses drumsticks and oven-roasts them with a cheddar, cream and egg marinade and a pepper butter baste; it also adds chaat masala, saffron, cinnamon, fenugreek and chickpea flour and lacks cheese, cream, egg and cornflour.