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Tandoori quail
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4 quails (or use partridge, poussin or chicken thighs)
- 1 medium potato, to wedge the quail on the skewer oil, to brush, if grilling
For the Tandoori Spice Mix
- 1tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1tsp chilli and 1tsp paprika
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 2tsp ground cumin
- 2tsp ground coriander
- 1tsp paprika
- ½tsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp amchoor (mango) powder
- ½tsp ground ajwain seeds
- pinch dried mint
- 1tsp sea salt
- ½tsp ground black pepper
For the Marinade
- 150g natural yoghurt
- 1tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1tsp sea salt
To serve (optional)
- small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
- 1–2 green chillies, finely chopped
Method
At least an hour, or up to a day, before, mix all the ingredients for the tandoori spice together in a bowl. Put all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, mix well, then add the spice mix and stir everything together. Add the quails or other bird and coat thoroughly in the marinade, then cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
If using a tandoor, heat it to 220-250C around three-quarters of the way up (use a thermometer gun if necessary). Thread the quails on to a large skewer and stick the potato on the end to prevent them slipping off and protect them from the heat. Roast the quails for around 10 minutes until they have an internal temperature of 65C.
Alternatively, if using partridge, poussin or chicken thighs, preheat the grill and cook for 25–30 minutes, turning a couple of times to brown evenly and brushing with a little oil.
Sprinkle with the coriander and chilli, if using, to serve.
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