
Tandoori Tangri Kebab
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)Ginger-garlic paste for the marinade
30 gStirred into the cheese-yoghurt marinade (step 4)
Basting pepper
2.3 gMixed into the melted butter for basting (step 8)Everything else

Method
- In a large bowl, stir 50 g lime juice, salt to taste and the chicken rub spices into a loose paste.
- Score 1000 g chicken drumsticks in a few places, add them to the bowl and turn to coat. Set aside.
- 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.
- Stir the ginger-garlic paste for the marinade, 1.5 g chopped coriander leaves and salt to taste into the cheese mixture.
- Add the chicken pieces one at a time, turning them and working the marinade into the slashes.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours, or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F (gas mark 4).
- Mix 28.2 g melted butter with the basting pepper.
- 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.
- Sprinkle 25 g lemon juice over the hot chicken.
Don't have something?

Lime

LemonUse the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.
Lemon juiceUse about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Mild chilli powder

Mild paprikaUse the same weight for colour and low heat; add a small pinch of hot chilli powder if needed.
Kashmiri chilli powderUse the same weight; similar colour, slightly more heat. Taste before adding more.
Red chilli powderUse half the weight and make up with mild paprika; red chilli powder is usually hotter.

Garam masala

Ground cuminUse 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 mixUse 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 legUse the same weight; larger pieces, so add 5–10 minutes cooking time and check at the bone.
Chicken thighUse the same weight; boneless thigh cooks faster by 5–10 minutes. More juicy and less bony.
Chicken piecesUse the same weight; choose bone-in pieces for similar richness. Adjust time by size.

Lemon

LimeUse the same weight or juice amount; sharper, so taste before adding all the juice.
Lemon juiceUse about 45–50 ml for 1 lemon; add off the heat to keep the freshness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 tsp for the juice of 1 lemon; add early. Sourness is flatter and less fresh.

Cheddar cheese

Processed cheeseUse the same weight; grate or slice. Melts more smoothly but is saltier, so reduce added salt.
CheeseUse the same weight; choose a firm melting cheese and grate. Flavour varies with the cheese.
PaneerUse 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

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

Hung natural yoghurtUse the same weight and whisk smooth; same thick consistency.
Full-fat natural yoghurtUse 1.25 times the weight and strain through muslin for 30 minutes; looser if not strained.
Hung yogurtUse the same weight; virtually identical.

Double cream

Heavy creamUse the same weight; whips and cooks almost identically.
Single creamUse the same weight in cooking, but it will not whip; reduce other liquid slightly.
Clotted creamUse 80% of the weight; richer and thicker, good for serving but not for whipping.

Egg

Chickpea flourFor 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 yoghurtUse about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.
TofuUse 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 pasteUse the same weight; the difference is only the order of the names.
Garlic pasteMix with an equal weight of ginger paste and use the same total weight.
GarlicFor 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 basilUse the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.
Basil leavesUse the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.
Coriander pasteUse 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Butter

Unsalted butterUse 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.
GheeUse 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 oilUse 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

Black pepper

Black peppercornUse the same weight and crush or grind as the recipe needs; whole peppercorn is the same spice.
Ground black pepperUse the same weight; add nearer the end if the recipe calls for whole pepper, as ground loses aroma faster.
Ground white pepperUse about 75–80% of the weight; it is milder and earthier, with less bite.
Similar dishes

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.



































