I’m not going to harp on about this, but this really is a phenomenal marinade. We now prefer it to most of our (award-winning, I should add) local Indian restaurants. It is based on the marinade they use at Brigadiers, which is Michelin starred, so we’re not messing about here 🙂
Tandoori Marinade
Equipment
- 1 pestle and mortar
Ingredients
- 3 whole dried kashmiri (or as a fallback, ancho) chillies
- 200 ml natural yoghurt
- 50 ml water
- 15 ml white wine vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp root ginger finely diced
- 2 tbsp mustard oil (you can make your own)
- 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp deggi mirch
- 15 g salt
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbso kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tbsp cornflour
Instructions
Prepare the Chilli Paste:
- Soak the whole chillies in warm water for 20 minutes.
- Drain and grind the chillies into a smooth paste using a little of the soaking water. Set aside.
Mix the Marinade:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the natural yoghurt and water until smooth.
- Add the white wine vinegar, mashed garlic, and diced ginger. Mix well
- Stir in the mustard oil, vegetable oil, and the prepared chilli paste.
- Add the deggi mirch, salt, garam masala, sugar, and crushed kasuri methi. Mix thoroughly.
- To thicken it, gradually add the cornflour to the mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Ensure the marinade is smooth and well combined.
Marinading
- Coat your chosen protein (chicken, paneer, lamb, tofu, etc.) evenly with the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavours to infuse.
Cooking
- Remove the marinated protein from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
- Turn your grill up to max
- Skewer the marinated pieces and cook until done, ensuring a nice char and that they're cooked through (time will vary depending on the protein used).
- Serve with a good squeeze lemon juice and a side of mint chutney.
Notes
For an authentic smoky flavor, you can finish the cooking process by placing a piece of charcoal in a small bowl inside your grill or oven, drizzle a bit of ghee on it, and cover to let the smoke infuse into the food.
