Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish consisting of roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices. The name comes from the type of cylindrical clay oven, a tandoor, in which the dish is traditionally prepared.
The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with the spice mixture tandoori masala. It is moderately piquant in India and Pakistan, but the heat is reduced in most Western nations. Cayanne pepper, red chilli powder or kashmiri red chili powder is used to give it a fiery red hue in the original version. A higher amount of turmenic produces an orange color. In milder versions, both red and yellow food colouring could sometimes be used to achieve bright colors, however turmeric powder is both mild and brightly colored, as is paprika , a sweet red pepper powder. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven), but can also be prepared on a traditional barbeque grill.
The tandoori chicken at Moti Mahal so impressed the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, that he made it a regular at official banquets. Visiting dignitaries who enjoyed tandoori chicken included American President Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikira Khruschev, The King of Nepal and the Shah of Iran.
The fame of tandoori chicken led to many derivatives, such as Chicken tikka, commonly found in menus in Indian restaurants all over the world.It is popular outside of India also such as in Pakistan, Bangladesh and in other parts of South Asia, where it is eaten as a starter before a meal.
Traditional Cuisine Around The World 