Tandoor and India : Chicken wings in Tandoori masala recipe

Tandoori wings and me!

It’s never too early to start thinking about getting that BBQ out for a lazy Sunday when the weather starts to look up. And when the sun shines, so does our mood! Add a bank holiday weekend in summer to the mix and we might as well start looking for some BBQ recipes to impress family and friends gathering around.

What springs to my mind is a tangy and unconventional recipe from the echelons of Tandoori cuisine—Tandoori chicken. But before I share my recipe, I should talk a little about that humble clay oven that many of you already know as the tandoor. This conveniently takes me back to my fond obsession with the Mughal era and their influence on India’s culinary landscape. And just like that, I am back on my Mughal trip—told you in my last article that I wasn’t done yet!

The tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven, has a rich history in India, and though it became central to Mughlai cuisine, its origins predate the Mughals. The earliest forms of tandoors were used during the Indus Valley Civilization (around 2600 BCE), mainly for baking bread. Although it’s a hot topic of debate, some say that it wasn’t until the Mughal era that the art of marinating and then grilling meats in the tandoor truly blossomed. It's been said that, though tandoors existed in the subcontinent and India before the Mughal era, it was the arrival of the Mughals—specifically Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire—who is credited with bringing the tandoor in its portable form to India. For Mughal armies on the move, the tandoor served as a practical, transportable kitchen. During Emperor Jahangir’s reign, tandoor became a symbol of perfecting grilling techniques and marinating meats with exotic spices and herbs and not just for baking breads, making it part of an enduring style of cooking that remains popular today.

While we now know that the tandoor exited 5000 years back and was perhaps (still debated by food historians regarding its validity) that it was popularized by the Mughals for kebabs, naan, and tikkas, it is the tandoor itself that continued to thrive well after the Mughal empire in the 19th century and then the post-partition of India in 20th  century  popularized by establishments like the famous Moti Mahal restaurant in Old Delhi. Today, its versatility is still celebrated in both traditional Indian kitchens and modern restaurants, with the ability to grill, bake and roast food.

Barbecued dishes like kebabs and tikkas remain central to this culinary tradition, transcending time and geography. The Mughal influence is still seen in these smoky indulgences, which are a hit at BBQs world-over, known for their bold flavours and charred textures.

Although I didn’t have a portable tandoor at home, I wanted to give you a taste of chicken prepared in the spices and yogurt of a bygone era. Traditionally, small boneless chicken pieces (tikka) on skewers are used for this recipe, but I have decided to do something daring and give you a grilled tandoori wings recipe for this Easter weekend.

Tandoori Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe

Preparation time, including marination: 1 hour Cooking time: 20-22 minutes Serves: 4 to 5 Type: Appetizer

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1 kg chicken wings

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½ tsp salt

• 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 1 tbsp gram (chickpea/besan) flour, dry-roasted

• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (optional)

• 1 tsp Chaat Masala

• 1 tsp dried mango powder

• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp garam masala

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp Tandoori Masala

• 1 tsp neutral oil

To garnish:

• Bunch of coriander leaves, chopped

• Lemon juice and Chaat masala, to sprinkle

Method

1. For the marinade: In a big bowl, mix the chicken wings with lemon juice and salt while you prepare the rest of the marinade. Toss all the remaining marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Coat the wings with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or overnight for best results. When ready to cook, mix in the tsp of oil to help keep the chicken moist.

2. For BBQ grill: When the barbecue is ready, place the wings on the grill and cook for 20-25 minutes. Start by leaving the wings on the grill with the lid closed for a few minutes. Turn them every 7-8 minutes, basting with some butter or oil on both sides until browned and cooked through. To check, the internal temperature of the chicken should be above 75°C(165°F). Alternatively, pierce the thickest part with a skewer—the juices should run clear. The wings should be crispy with a nice char.

3. For air frying: Air fry the wings at 200°C for 22-25 minutes. The longer you air fry, the more charred the outer coating gets—just how I like it! Shake the wings in the drawer every 6-7 minutes and baste with some oil about 10 minutes into the frying process.

Serve with

• Coriander and mint chutney

• Onion rings

• Lemon wedges

 So this summer, give your grill a fragrant, fiery upgrade. Trust me—once you go tandoori, your BBQ might never be the same again.