• 3 lb pound chicken
• 2- 3 inch piece of fresh ginger root
• 12 pods green cardamom
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• fresh green chillies
• 2 cups yogurt

1. Peel and sliver finely a 2 to 3-inch piece of fresh ginger root.
2. Roast 12 pods of green cardamom in a dry pan over medium-high heat till they are fragrant - crush them in the mortar and remove the green fibrous pieces to leave only the black seeds, ground finely.
3. Crush 1 generous teaspoon of sea salt with 3 peeled cloves of garlic and fresh green chillies to taste (2-3, seeded, if you want it mild; I use 5 with their seeds in) in the mortar. Mix the spices with 2 cups of yoghurt (I prefer full-cream Greek style, but lowfat will do).
4. Split a 3 lb chicken at the backbone and give it a good whack on the breastbone to open it out as flat as you can.
5. Massage it all over, and under the breast skin also (Indian cooks skin the chicken), with the yoghurt spice mixture.
6. Let it marinate in a cool place for 2-3 hours.
7. Grill it breast side up, over the coals or under the oven grill, for 30 minutes, then turn it and give it another 20-30 minutes.
8. Enjoy the fragrance of the cardamom.
9. Turn the breast side towards the grill in the oven again for the last 10 minutes.
10. Test for doneness, but be careful not to let it char too much if you want to cook it some more.
11. Serve with a banana raita (see my raita recipes) and a cool and hot mint chatni (recipe follows).

A delicious but simpler version of 'tandoori' chicken. I must admit that we enjoy eating this type of chicken with our hands rather than a knife and fork.