In Indian cooking, chicken and lamb are marinated in this aromatic mixture of yogurt and spices before they are cooked in the extremely high heat of a tandoor. The marinade is often tinted with a natural dye, which gives tandoori chicken its characteristic orange-yellow color.

I. For Meats

About 1 cup; enough for 3 to 4 pounds of meat

Our friend Kusuma Rao insists that coating the meat with salt, citrus, and spices first is crucial: It changes the texture of the meat, improves the color, and helps the spices adhere better.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt (1/2 tsp per pound of meat)
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, ground or finely crumbled with your fingers
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

  1. Place the meat to be marinated in a bowl and sprinkle evenly with salt.

  2. Add and thoroughly combine:

    • Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper
    • Grated lemon zest
    • lemon juice

  3. Add and toss to coat:

    • Greek yogurt
    • fenugreek leaves
    • Garam Masala
    • turmeric
    • Additional chili powder or cayenne (optional)

  4. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight (or as directed in individual recipes).

  5. Before cooking the meat, use your fingers to wipe off excess marinade.

II. For Vegetables

About 1 1/4 cups

When roasting and broiling indoors, we use smoked paprika in place of the sweet paprika to make up for the lack of grilled flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Garam Masala or curry powder
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced or grated on a rasp grater
  • One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced or grated on a rasp grater
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Whisk together in a large bowl all ingredients.

  2. Use to marinate vegetables as directed in version I.