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Easy Recipe: Spicy BBQ Paneer/Chicken

Last updated on: January 09, 2023 17:18 IST

Fire up your grills this week and impress the folks at home with Chef Pradeep Joshi's Indian-style Barbeque Chicken.

The cayenne pepper adds extra vibrancy and heat to the grilled chicken, the tamarind puree with sugar adds a lovely sweetness, balanced by the white vinegar.

The ketchup is a tad much. Cut back if you like.

You can use the same marination on cubes of paneer or tofu.

Chef Joshi has a message for all budding chefs: 'Cook food with your whole heart'.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Barbeque Company

Hindustani Barbeque Chicken or Paneer

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

Editor's Note: If there are vegetarians/vegans in the gathering, use 500 gm firm paneer or tofu instead of chicken. Use a bit of sauce for pre-marination. Paneer takes a little less time to cook on a grill and can be basted with a little ghee.

For those who don't eat garlic, ginger or onion or prefer extra spice, increase spices by adding red chilly powder, haldi or turmeric powder, ground ajwain or carom seeds, mustard paste, whole kallonji or nigella seeds while making the sauce.

If you don't have a grill, use an oven or place a grill rack over your gas burner and cook on low turning quickly. Frying pan barbecue can also work, especilly if you place a piece of lighted charcoal in the middle as you fry and cover. Or add liquid smoke (available for purchase online) to the marinade.

Chef Pradeep Joshi is the head chef at Barbeque Company that has several branches across India in New Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Jaipur.

Chef PRADEEP JOSHI