Description
Deliciously spiced chicken drumsticks marinated in a creamy cashew, turmeric, and yogurt blend, slow-roasted and finished under a hot grill for a crispy, golden finish. This Indian-inspired kalmi kebab recipe offers tender, flavorful chicken with aromatic spices like garam masala, cumin, and Kashmiri chili powder, perfect for an impressive yet easy-to-make dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 75g cashew nuts
- 1 lemon, juiced, plus extra wedges to serve
- 150g strained Greek yogurt (or regular Greek yogurt)
- 50g ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain), optional
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp cracked black peppercorns
- 50ml double cream
Chicken
- 12 chicken drumsticks, skinned
- 50g ghee or 75ml sunflower oil
- 1 small red onion, cut into rings
Instructions
- Soften Cashews: Place cashew nuts in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let them soak for at least 2 hours until softened. Drain and blend with lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.
- Prepare Marinade: In a large bowl, mix the cashew paste with yogurt. Add lemon juice, grated ginger, crushed garlic, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, carom seeds if using, garam masala, ground cumin, cracked black pepper, and double cream. Stir well to combine all spices and form a creamy marinade.
- Marinate Chicken: Make 2-3 slashes in each chicken drumstick with a sharp knife. Coat each drumstick thoroughly with the marinade, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight for deeper flavor absorption.
- Preheat Oven and Roasting Tin: Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/Gas Mark 7. Place ghee or sunflower oil in a large roasting tin and heat in the oven until very hot.
- Roast Chicken: Arrange marinated drumsticks in a single layer in the hot roasting tin. Spoon half of the remaining marinade over the drumsticks. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Turn and Continue Roasting: Flip the drumsticks over, spread the remaining marinade on top, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
- Grill for Finish: Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Grill the chicken drumsticks for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and slightly charred.
- Serve: Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving dish. Scatter with red onion rings and serve with lemon wedges on the side for an added fresh zing.
Notes
- Carom seeds (ajwain) lend a thyme-like flavor; include them if available for authentic taste.
- Use strained yogurt for a thicker, creamier marinade; you can strain regular Greek yogurt at home by hanging it in muslin for 2-3 hours.
- Marinating overnight intensifies the flavor and tenderness of the chicken.
- If preferred, substitute ghee with sunflower or vegetable oil for roasting.
- Ensure the roasting tin and fat are very hot before adding chicken to help caramelize the marinade coating.
- Prep Time: 10 mins (plus 2 hrs soaking cashews and 1-2 hrs marinating)
- Cook Time: 35 mins (30 mins roasting + 4 mins grilling)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: chicken drumsticks, kalmi kebab, cashew nuts, turmeric, Indian chicken recipe, spiced chicken, yogurt marinade, oven-roasted chicken
