Tandoori Chicken question

[Austin_]

Hi, I am a huge fan of crispy, fried chicken and tandoori chicken as well. I'm thinking about combining them. Instead of using eggs I might use a tandoori sauce- would that turn out weird or would it turn out fine? I love tandoori but I also love that added crunch to the chicken as well. Any help appreciated.

[Suzanne]

How do you normally make your fried chicken? Do you dip in flour, then egg, then batter or crumbs? If so, maybe you would want to mix a dose of tandoori spices into the flour instead of just salt and pepper. You won't get the color on the outside, but it will make a nice, colorful surprise when you bite in.

I would do it that way, rather than adding a lot of tandoori spices to the outer coating. Well, maybe just a little would be okay, but I'd be afraid that when it hit the hot oil, something strange might happen if it were heavy with spices.

[Austin_]

Egg, then bread crumbs. Then I double-dip for extra crispiness. Instead of egg, I thought I could cover it with Tandoori sauce to make the inside moist and crunchy at the same time. I like your idea a lot, but I think that Tandoori wouldn't be Tandoori without the yogurt. Even so your idea sounds delicious. Thank you!

[phatch]

Marinate as you would fried chicken in buttermilk. But use the tandoori spiced yogurt. Yogurt and buttermlik are similar enough for this purpose.

Breading, well, I'd have to go with a pakora type breading based on besan/chickpea flour just to keep with the whole indian thing. If not tha, then just the standard flour with some tandoori/garam masala spices in the flour. Probably some paprika or annato powder for color there too.

Phil

[Austin_]

Thank you! I like that idea. Where can you find chickpea flour? Is it pretty common or do you have to go to a specialty market to find it?

[phatch]

Originally Posted by Austin_

Thank you! I like that idea. Where can you find chickpea flour? Is it pretty common or do you have to go to a specialty market to find it?

It is a somewhat specialty item, at least in my area. Some grocers carry it in their health food sections. Most health food/organic stores darry it with the flour and in their bulk food section.

And indian grocers have it of course, as well as middle eastern ones.

Phil

[mikelombardy]

Many Indian stores sell it.
It goes by the Besan.