Cheat's Tandoori Chicken Masala

Ok, this is not an authentic tandoori chicken masala. For starters, it's not cooked in a tandoor. However, it's another tasty meal that can be made using a jointed chicken, or a pack of chicken thighs. You can increase the quantities if cooking for a crowd.

I use tandoori spice mix from my local asian supermarket. There are a number of different brands, so experiment until you find your favourite. The mix is often salted, so don't add any salt to the dish until you've checked.

Put 4tbs of tandoori spice into a roasting dish. Add about 300ml plain yoghurt. If using a greek-style yoghurt you may need to thin it with a little milk.

Commercial tandoori mixes don't contain as much food colouring as they used to (which is probably a good thing), so I often throw in a tablespoon of paprika to add a bit of red colour and a lovely rich flavour.

Mix the spice powder and yoghurt well, then add the chicken pieces and coat well with the spicy paste. If you aren't in a hurry, you can let this marinade for a few hours in the fridge. Traditional tandoori chicken is skinned and slashed - you can do this if you like.

Cook in the oven at 180C for about an hour. If you like the charred tandoori look, you can try 200C for about 50 minutes.

The chicken juices mix with the tandoori spice paste to make a sauce that can be served with the chicken. If you want, you could add some fried onions and thicken with flour before serving, although I don't bother.

This is great with naan bread and a salad although rice is an option. My red lentil curry makes a nice accompaniment.