Tandoori Chicken - Home Entry!

I love Indian food. Well, most of it anyways. I especially love the Chicken Mahkani at Mother India in Costa Mesa. I love Mother India’s Chicken Mahkani so much that not only do I eat it at least once a month but I also subject any visitors that may come and visit me to eat at Mother India as well. I become a little bit defensive if the person I brought to Mother India doesn’t fall in love with it like I have (Hi Mom, yes, I mean you…spicy my ass) (Actually she doesn’t know about this blog…mainly because she considers ‘shut up’ to be a swear word). I love their Chicken Mahkani so deeply that even though I tell myself I will one-day order something from Mother India that isn’t Chicken Mahkani I never do. It’s really just that good. As is their daal…and garlic naan…and samosas…I hear other things are good too but I have never tried them. Oh, but their lunch buffet kinda bites. I know; it’s weird.

This weekend Kevin and I were broke. Like really broke. Like almost considered selling off the CD collection and breaking into change jar for groceries broke. But I was really in the mood for some Chicken Mahkani, which is pretty common of me to want something right at the time when I can least afford it. So I decided that I would make my own Chicken Mahkani, which I have done before but never the proper way, which is to use Tandoori Chicken. Now granted, I still couldn’t make Tandoori Chicken the way one is suppose to do it (clay oven), but I do have a BBQ grill. Clay Oven, BBQ Grill…close enough (there’s a country in Asia right now fainting at the thought).

Surprisingly, we already had most of the ingredients in the house from the last time I tried (and ‘tried’ really is the appropriate word here) so all I had to buy was the world’s most expensive chicken breasts, some yogurt, bit of ginger, and a lemon which I didn’t even use.



I first cut up the chicken into bits and soak it in a bit of lemon juice and salt. Meanwhile, Kevin mixed together all the other marinade things, except for the food coloring, which I insisted that I do just because it would be fun. Yes, I have a weird sense of the word ‘fun’.



After applying the marinade to the chicken bits, I left it in the refrigerator for what seemed like eternity. But in real life time, it was 24 hours. Believe me when I say, when you want Chicken Mahkani, 24 hours IS eternity.


My fridge, in case 'Cribs' ever wants to come to my house.

The next day I started the grill. I am embarrassed to say that after two and a half years of living in California I have become accustomed to always being able to grill outside (without freezing my ass off). It’s a luxury I take for granted. This is the round about way of me saying I’m sorry it snowed on your Easter. If it makes you feel any better, we’re in a drought which means that this summer the entire state of California will burn down to the ground that will also mean it will be uncomfortably hot (fire=hot) and we don’t have an air conditioner…or a hose big enough to handle a fire that size.


Grill and the tomato plants that can't grow fast enough.

Where was I? OH YES, the grill. So I threw the marinade pieces of chicken on there and once they were properly cooked, I began calling it Tandoori.


My name is Earl, uh, I mean 'tandoori chicken'.

From there I made the Mahkani sauce.


Ah! How many of you have Kasoori Methi in your house? OK, how about know what it is?

As you can see from the picture below, includes Asia’s ration of butter. I understand that Mahkani can also called ‘Butter Chicken’ but DAMN.


Asia's going to be pissed.

After the butter melted, I threw in everything else and let it simmer awhile. I did come to the realization that a wok probably wasn’t the best instrument to use for this as simmering Mahkani means splattered Mahkani all over stove, countertop, floor, Moe, glass of wine besides stove, cat, and I think even one of the smaller countries in Asia.



So this is the finished product. I was a bit disappointed in the sauce (which means I’m STILL in the mood for Mother India) but the Tandoori Chicken was fantastic.

No Mother India, but not bad.

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