Tandoori poussin - Indian recipes

Tandoori poussin

Try this dish for an Indian-themed barbecue this summer: clove-smoked poussin marinated in yoghurt and cardamom.

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 250ml/9fl oz hung yoghurt (See Top recipe tip below)

• 1½ tbsp green chilli and coriander paste (3 green chillies pureéd with a handful of chopped coriander)

• 2 tbsp mustard oil

• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

• 2 tsp red chilli powder

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground green cardamom

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp garam masala

• salt, to taste

• 3cm/1¾in root ginger, grated

• 7 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 small onion, grated

• lemon juice, to taste

For the poussin

• 6 whole poussin, quartered

• 2 pieces of charcoal

• 1 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil

• 6 cloves

Preparation method

1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients (except the lemon juice) in a large bowl to make a paste.

2. Make small slahes in the poussin with a sharp knife and add it to the marinade. Massage the marinade into the cuts and set aside in the fridge for at least three hours (remove the meat from the fridge half an hour before cooking, to bring to room temperature).

3. Carefully heat two pieces of charcoal.

4. Arrange the poussin in a large heatproof pot (with a lid) and place the smouldering coals in a small metal ramekin. Place this in the middle of the poussin. Add the cloves and rapeseed oil to the charcoal.

5. Cover the pot with a damp cloth, followed by the lid, and leave to smoke for one hour.

6. Heat a grill or barbecue.

7. Cook the poussin on a hot barbecue or under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through then squeeze over the lemon juice.