CHICKEN TANDOORI
Breaded and pan-fried, stewed in soups, stuffed with herb butter and roasted, sautéed with aromatics or smoked in a wood-fired oven, there are many ways to prepare universally loved chicken. From the generic mass-farmed chicken to the elusive and sought-after Indonesian ayam cemani, chicken is celebrated worldwide as the most popular white meat available. Every culture pays tribute to the versatile meat in its own way, with its own signature style and frills.
For Indians, chicken is a staple meat, usually incorporated in various curries and stir-fries. A favourite preparation method is the tandoori and a trip to JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta’s Sailendra Restaurant would not be complete without sampling this specialty. Only baby chicken is used for the chicken tandoori, which is a special à la carte dish. A bewitching marinade of garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and yogurt is massaged gently into pieces of chicken thigh and breast before the flavours are allowed to seep and develop for five hours. Next, the chicken pieces are grilled in a cylindrical clay oven called the tandoor for 15 to 20 minutes. Prepared by JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta’s Sous Chef Cipta Tenggala, the chicken tandoori is served with sides of vibrant mint chutney, homemade onion pickle, aromatic jira rice, grilled naan bread and the quintessential papadam crackers.
