Tandoori & Tikka Masala

Tandoori masala is a spice blend for food cooked in a tandoor, the clay oven of Punjab, and it is the flavour behind tandoori chicken, tikka and boti. It usually combines Kashmiri chilli for colour with coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves. Tikka masala blends are similar but made for boneless pieces, and many are used for the sauce in chicken tikka masala too.

Choose a tandoori masala for whole legs, wings and drumsticks, and a tikka blend for boneless chicken, lamb boti, fish or paneer cubes. Bulk bags suit barbecue season and big gatherings, and small packets are fine for one meal. Some blends include colouring for the classic restaurant red, while others rely on chilli alone.

Mix the masala with thick yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and a little oil, slash the chicken to the bone and marinate it overnight in the fridge. Cook it as hot as you can, under a grill, in a very hot oven or over charcoal, and baste with butter at the end. Compare kebab masala for minced meat, chicken masala for curries, and the rest of the masalas, plus Kashmiri chilli powder to deepen the colour.