Grilled to perfection

what can be more fun than chilling out with family and friends, a couple of beers and some delicious food.

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

Summer has been pretty intense this year, hasn’t it?

But that hasn’t stopped our love for backyard barbecues. After all,

When you talk about grilling, tandoori chicken cannot be far behind - a dish that needs no introduction at all. It has become a global favourite and has staunchly become the face of Indian cuisine in most countries, apart from the curry of course.

Even though most of us might not have a traditional tandoor at home, it’s quite easy to prepare tandoori fare on a barbecue grill, oven or even on a stove top grill depending on the kind of protein or vegetable that is being cooked.

I always make the tandoori marinade from scratch. Not a big fan of store bought masalas and moreover, the marinade is super easy to make. Many versions call for the addition of gram flour but using only yoghurt imparts more flavour without that doughy taste to the coating.

For this dish, I have used the tandoori marinade for both the chicken thighs as well as the vegetables. While I cooked the thighs on a barbecue grill, I used a regular stove top grill for the veggies. Couscous pairs beautifully with a dish like this; its light and fluffy texture is a perfect accompaniment to the chicken and veggies. And a drizzle of the tangy mint coriander chutney completes the dish perfectly.

TANDOORI MARINADE

Ingredients

1 ½ cup thick yogurt

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to heat preference)

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin/jeera powder

¼ tsp black salt/kala namak

½ tsp chaat masala

¼ tsp dry ginger powder

Salt, to season

2 garlic cloves; grated

1 inch ginger; grated

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves; nely chopped

Method

In a bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk well to get a smooth consistency.

CHICKEN

Ingredients

5 chicken Maryland/thighs; score lengthwise

1 cup tandoori marinade

Salt to season

Vegetable oil, for barbecue

Method

In a bowl, add the required tandoori marinade to the chicken thighs. Season with salt (remember, the marinade has salt) and rub the marinade well into the chicken. Keep refrigerated for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Fire up the barbecue and grill the chicken pieces till done.

Ingredients

1 red onion, cut into cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into cubes

1 medium zucchini, cut into cubes

1 punnet baby corn

1 small broccoli, orets separated

1 small fennel bulb, cut into cubes

½ cup tandoori marinade

Salt, to season

Vegetable oil, for grilling

Method

Place all the vegetables in a bowl, add the marinade and season with salt if necessary. Mix well and keep for at least 1-2 hours.

Heat a stove grill to high, brush with oil and grill the veggies in batches. Remember to grill on high to get the char but still keep the crunchy texture.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups couscous

2 ½ cups water

Salt to season

Method

Add 2 ½ cups boiling water to 2 ½ cups couscous (1:1 ratio), season with salt, cover and keep aside. After 10 minutes, use a fork to lightly uff up the couscous.

Note: Do check packet instructions as the ratio of water to couscous can sometimes vary.

Lemon wedges

¼ cup coriander leaves; nely chopped

To assemble

Place the couscous in the middle of a large platter and arrange the grilled veggies around it. Garnish with half of the coriander leaves.

Place the chicken thighs on another platter, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with lemon wedges and mint coriander chutney.