Tandoori whole cornish hen
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Tandoori chicken made with all homemade ingredients. No food colors, store-bought masalas.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
  • For Tandoori Chicken
  • 1 cornish game hen
  • 1 tbsp - oil
  • ¾th tsp - pink Himalayan salt
  • 1 tbsp - chili powder
  • 1 tsp - fresh ground coriander seeds
  • ⅛th tsp - garam masala
  • ⅛th tsp - fresh ground pepper
  • ½ cup - fresh yogurt (remove excess water)
  • ¾th tbsp - freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp - fresh ginger garlic paste
  • 1 beetroot for color
  • For stuffing
  • ½ cup brown rice
  • ½ cup - diced onion
  • ½ cup - diced celery
  • ½ cup - diced carrot
  • 2 - diced green chilies
  • ¼ cup - diced beet-root - optional
  • 1 sprig - diced beet-root leaves - optional
  • 1 tbsp - ghee
  • 4 sprigs - fresh cilantro
  • ¼th cup - fresh thyme - optional
  • Salt - to taste
Instructions
  1. Remove skin. Make deep cuts on chicken breast. This allows marinade to sink deeper and every part of meat has marinade.
  2. Mix all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk well. I don't use artificial food colors. I use natural colors where ever possible. Just by using good quality chill powder and fresh ground coriander, tandoori chicken gets its orangish color. For more vibrant color, grind one beet, place in fine cheesecloth and squeeze the juice.
  3. Rub on chicken inside and out thoroughly including deep cuts. Marinade for at least for 1 hour. You can marinade before night and refrigerate.
  4. For stuffing, cook brown rice. Keep aside.
  5. In a pot, add ghee. Heat on medium.
  6. Add all vegetables and thyme. Cook for 5 mins. Add salt, stir. Cook another 5 mins till vegetables are soft. Add brown rice and cilantro. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the stove.
  7. I bake chicken on a vertical grilling rack. This allows the heat of the oven to flow inside the bird, which means it cooks from both the inside and outside. When baking on a rack, stuff chicken after baking. If baking of a tray, stuff chicken, place breast side up. Any excess marinade, rub on chicken.
  8. Place on the lower rack. Bake at 350ºf for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, place oven on broil at 500ºf. Continue baking for 7-10 minutes. Keep watching after 5 minutes. Don't let chicken burn. Turn off the oven.
  9. Stuff the chicken if you haven't.
  10. Serve hot with red onion slices
Recipe by Ujwala's Delicacies at https://www.ujwalasdelicacies.com/tandoori-whole-cornish-hen/