TANDOORI CHICKEN WITH RAITA

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Traditional tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt and a blend of spices and roasted in a superhot tandoor oven to produce tender meat beneath beautifully charred skin. The spice mix can vary, but fresh ginger is an integral component. To make an authentic-tasting version at home, we started by peeling the skin off of bone-in chicken parts and slashing the surface of the meat so the flavors could penetrate deeply. We built a fragrant paste, blooming ginger and garlic in oil before adding garam masala, cumin, and chili powder and binding everything together with lime juice. We used this paste twice, applying some directly to the exposed meat and stirring the rest into whole-milk yogurt. The spices imparted plenty of flavor and the yogurt marinade gave our chicken tang. Arranged on a wire rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet, our chicken roasted gently and evenly in a moderate oven, and a final few minutes under the broiler delivered the charred finish we wanted. A cool, creamy raita sauce offered the perfect complement to our flavorful tandoori-style chicken. If using large chicken

Serves: 4

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• breasts (about 1 pound each), cut each
• breast into three pieces.
• RAITA 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper

CHICKEN

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), skin removed, trimmed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. For the raita: Combine yogurt, cilantro, and garlic in bowl and season with salt and cayenne to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Raita can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
2. For the chicken: Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in garam masala, cumin, and chili powder and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of garlic mixture to medium bowl, stir in yogurt and 2 tablespoons lime juice, and set aside. In large bowl, combine remaining garlic mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and salt.
3. Using sharp knife, make 2 or 3 short slashes into each piece of chicken. Transfer chicken to bowl with garlic–lime juice mixture and rub until all pieces are evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated with thick layer. Arrange chicken pieces, scored side down, on prepared rack.
5. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Roast chicken until breast pieces register 125 degrees and thighs and/or drumsticks register 130 degrees, 15 to 25 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from oven as they reach correct temperature.) 5. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Return chicken to wire rack, scored side up, and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots and breast pieces
   register 160 degrees and thighs and/or drumsticks register 175 degrees, 8 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving dish and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with raita and lime wedges.