Hi,

I was just wondering which of the Tandoori chicken recipes will be closest to the type of flavour you get in most restaurants? Love this site by the way!

Thanks in advance.

None!

I did not mean any offence! I was just enquiring if any were similar to the flavour we are most used to getting in the UK.

No Suzy, no offence is taken, do not worry. I just mean that none of the recipes taste like restaurant food, most are like home cooking :-).

mamta

Ok great, i look forward to trying them all, think i will start with Tandoori chicken 1 first. Thanks

Certainly none will have that horrid radioactive red glow from food colouring. For a gentle colouring the paprika, saffron or some turmeric will help. Just tell everyone it is 'blond tandoori chicken' - far more sophisticated than your run of the mill restaurant food!

Tandoori (1) is a good place to start although I prefer the twist of the carom/ajwain seeds in Tandoori (2)

Winton

Thanks for the advise Winton, i decided on 'Tandoori chicken 1' and have marinated it over night, i am just about to cook it (can't wait until tonight!).

...hey Suzi...if you want red tandoori chicken you go right ahead. Dont let people here put you off. Which one did you finally go with? How was it?

Cheers

Steve

Yep Suzi, it's your chicken tandoori, and you put what you want in it! Food colouring is pretty authentic if you want that lurid glow - but I'd try to stick to natural food colourings, such as paprika or even tomato puree will give it a pleasant 'rouge.' Achiote/Annatto seeds would be best, but I have not seen them for sale in the West.

Again, let us know how you got on!

I decided on 'tandoori chicken 1'. It was very nice (strong cardamon taste). When i asked which one was like the restaurant style i meant flavour rather then colour, anyone know a good recipe for 'restaurant style' tandoori chicken?

Ground annatto seeds would certainly give it a nice colour but I wouldn't use too much or it will impart a flavour that doesn't really belong in Indian food. I have used ground annatto seeds in tandoori masala before with quite good results.

I use annatto seeds for making Recardo de Colorado/Rojo for Mayan cooking, and they're really hard to grind and have a tendency to stain like you wouldn't believe. I prefer to grind my own, but you might be better of looking for the annatto powder. You an buy them mail order from spiceworld.uk.com.

Another option would be beetroot powder, although this might give a slightly different colour to what you'd normally be used to seeing. A little goes a long way, and again, too much will impart a flavour. I use it mostly for adding colour to rice. I tend to use rotan jot for adding colour to curries, but it only releases its colour into hot oil.

Failing that I guess you could always use red food colouring :-)