Bademiya's justly famous chile-coriander chicken

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 Whole chicken legs or; (*see directions)
1½ tablespoon Coriander seeds
2 teaspoons Whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
6 Cloves garlic; peeled
1 Piece fresh ginger; thinly sliced (2 inches)
3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
¼ cup Water; or as needed
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper or hot paprika
1½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Chopped fresh cilantro
Thinly sliced red onion; for garnish
Wedges of limes or lemons; for garnish

Directions

or*1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces Remove and discard the skin from the chicken legs, then rinse under cold running water. Drain and blot dry with paper towels. Place the legs in a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer and set aside while you prepare the seasoning paste.

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add the coriander seeds, peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Toast the spices until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the skillet occasionally. Let cool, then transfer to a spice mill and grind to a fine powder. Combine the ground spices in a blender or mini chopper with the garlic, ginger, oil, ¼ cup water, lemon juice, cayenne, and salt. Process to a smooth paste, adding more water if necessary to obtain a pourable consistency. Add the cilantro and process just to mix.

Using your fingers, spread the seasoning paste over the chicken legs to coat on both sides, then cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat the grill to high.

When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the chicken legs from the baking dish and arrange on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until the juices run clear when the tip of the skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, 6 to 10 minutes per side (12 to 20 minutes in all).

Transfer the chicken legs to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately garnished with sliced red onion and lime or lemon wedges.

Busted by JoAnn Pellegrino 8/98 NOTES : Method: Direct Grilling.The Taj Mahal Hotel is the most famous hotel in Bombay. But for me the real attraction of the neighborhood is a food stall called Bademiya, located on tiny Tulloch Road behind the venerable Taj.

Founded by Muhammad Yaseen in the 1940s and now run by his 30 year-old jean-and Nike-clad son Jamal, this sidewalk eatery attracts Bombay barbecue buffs of all castes and classes for its fiery grilled chicken, meltingly succulent seekh (minced lamb) kebabs, and grilled lamb's udder. (The latter tastes like chewy liver and is for adventurous eaters only.) The original version of this dish is hot, hot, hot. For the full effect, use 1 entire tablespoon of cayenne. For a milder but highly flavorful rendition, use 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne, or substitute hot paprika which isn't quite as fiery. To round out your meal at Bademiya, two fulltime bakers work nonstop tossing paper thin disks of dough onto charcoal fired metal domes to make freshly cooked ruoomali ("handkerchief bread"). Since these are difficult to make, I suggest serving this chicken with either of two thoroughly non-Indian but definately satisfactory alternatives, flour tortillas or lavash. Afghan Coriander Sauce and Tamarind Dipping Sauce make great accompaniments.

Recipe by: Barbecue! The Bible/S Raichlen Posted to KitMailbox Digest by J Pellegrino <gigimfg@...> on Aug 31, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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