'Tandoori' Chicken & Aloo Gobi

We picked up a whole chicken from SeaBreeze Farm this past weekend, so today we cooked it up in a tandoori style. I obviously don't have a tandoori oven, so it was mostly about the flavors. I did a mostly dry rub with some lemon juice and chili powder, then marinated in a delicious bath of yogurt, garam masala and other spices. Then I roasted it in the oven while I whipped up some Aloo Gobi using this recipe from FoodNetwork.com

Aloo Gobi
Peanut or canola oil, for shallow frying
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into thick 2 by 1 by 1-inch fries
1 head cauliflower (1 3/4 pounds), cut into delicate florets
1 tablespoon peeled finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons water
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium heat. When it is hot, put in the potatoes and fry them until they are golden and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Turn the heat to medium-high, put in the cauliflower florets, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are golden brown. Lift the cauliflower out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn the heat off. Remove all the oil from the frying pan except for 2 tablespoons (the extra oil can be drained and reused). Turn the heat to medium-high and put in the ginger. Stir for 10 seconds. Now return the potatoes and cauliflower to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium. Put in the turmeric, salt, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Stir gently to coat the vegetables with the spices. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir once and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to low and cook very gently for 4 minutes. Add the cilantro and toss gently. Serve hot.



Both turned out very good, though the chicken could've probably been marinated longer. I was particularly excited to a) roast my first chicken b) make a couple new Indian recipes and c) use the baster we received as a wedding gift for the first time.