Pierce the chicken breasts with fork tines so the marinade seeps in.
Mix the tandoori seasoning, yogurt and lemon juice.
If you want the traditional red tandoori color, add the tomato paste and red food coloring. Mix well. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and discard the marinade.
Bake uncovered 45 minutes, turning and basting the chicken with pan juices every 15 minutes.
* Pre-mixed blends of tandoori seasoning are available at Soulard Spice Shop, Penzeys Spices and Indian grocery stores.
** Mix your own custom version with these basic spices:
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground ginger
You can also customize the mixture to your taste by substituting fresh ginger for the ground or by adding:
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. commercial* or custom** tandoori spice mix
1 cup plain yogurt
Juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp. tomato paste, optional
½ tsp. red food coloring, optional
This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2005.