First, make a few slits on the chicken drumsticks with a sharp knife.
Then, in a bowl, marinate the chicken drumsticks in a mixture of yogurt, minced ginger and garlic, chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, crushed or powdered black pepper, tandoori masala (if using), lime juice, and canola oil (or another oil of your choice with a
high smoke point). Make sure to rub the marinade into the slits of the drumsticks. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 2 hours. Refrigerate the marinated chicken drumsticks for 5 hours for best results.
Note: Tandoori masala adds extra kick to the dish and is available in Indian or South Asian grocery stores or gourmet markets. However, the Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks will taste great even without adding tandoori masala.
Tandoor is used to cook a variety of Indian breads and roast meats and vegetables. The word Tandoori is an adjective to describe any food cooked in a tandoor. Tandoori dishes have a distinctive smoky flavor and are extremely popular in northern part of India. Tandoor is also used for cooking in the Middle East, Central Asia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Iran.
The traditional tandoor or clay oven has mostly been a part of restaurant kitchens and community kitchens (a common kitchen for multiple households, also called Sanjha Chulha) in some rural parts of India. Due to its size and complexity, a traditional tandoor is difficult to install in a modern kitchen. Therefore, a convection oven is used as a substitute for tandoor. The taste and aroma of the food cooked in a convection oven is very close to that of a tandoor. Just like a tandoor, food is cooked in a convection oven where heat is trapped in a closed space.
Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks is one of the most delicious and easy to cook tandoori dishes. The chicken drumsticks are marinated in a mixture of yogurt, minced ginger and garlic, and some spices for at least 2 hours. The marinated chicken drumsticks are then roasted in a convection oven. Tandoori chicken is served with naan (a type of Indian bread) and cilantro-mint chutney.
Happy Cooking!