Tandoori chicken...

is some yummy stuff. Just ask my kids.

It was a favorite meal of an ex. I tried to make it for him... and failed. Years later, knowing my husband's taste for the spicy, I tried again.
He got home half an hour late that day and I wasn't even mad. The thirty minutes he'd been deprived of that stuff was punishment enough.

I made it again tonight. No, this wasn't the third time in my life, but it has been a while. Madeleine ate three drumsticks, a new feat. The Boy had seconds, too. I've figured out that six pieces aren't enough; this time I made nine and it was barely enough. The kids passed on the couscous to have chicken. Small children, passing on starch for protein? Wow.

I've said it before. My kids are weird.

UPDATE #1: They did go back and finish off the couscous, but about an hour later.

UPDATE, 10/18: The recipe is slightly modified from the book, but I don't think you folks will mind. This is what I do.

INGREDIENTS for prep
2 1/2 tsp unseasoned meat tenderizer
1/3 cup lemon juice

1. Take your skinned chicken parts. You want them with bones, as the meat will turn to soup on you when it cooks if it doesn't have SOMETHING to cling to. Slash the meat diagonally about 1/2 inch deep and about an inch apart. I aim for about 3 slashes per piece.
2. In a bowl deep enough to hold 'em all, pour the lemon juice mixture over the chicken. Mix them around and rub it into the slashes so they all get a little attention. Cover and leave it alone for 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS for marinade
2 cloves garlic--minced from the jar is great
1 TB chopped ginger root--not the powdered stuff, but the one in the jar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 TB paprika
1/3 cup plain yogurt

3. Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade together until smooth. When the half hour from Step 2 is up, pour the marinade over the chicken and then toss the pieces around until it's all covered pretty evenly.
Here is the part that requires planning: the chicken now needs to sit, overnight in a fridge or at least four hours on the counter, with occasional visits and flips around. I know, it sounds vile to leave raw chicken out for hours, but trust me. It's worth it.
4. In a roasting pan, lay out the chicken in a single layer. It's okay to pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover and roast at 525 degrees (see why it's okay to leave it out?) for half an hour.

It just falls off the bone. Delicious.