20 Nebraskaland • October 2020
I don't own a tandoor oven. You
probably don't have a tandoor oven.
Good news, your background charcoal
or wood pellet grill will work just
fine. Inspired by tandoori chicken, a
well-known Indian dish, these grilled,
curried quail make delicious appetizers
or finger food. Thanks to the flavorful
yogurt marinade, the birds come off
the grill tender and juicy.
If you've had the Indian dish before,
you might wonder about the lack of
red coloring on my quail. Tandoori
chicken's signature bright red color
is usually achieved by food coloring,
although bolder recipes might get
their color from generous amounts of
cayenne and red chili powder. I skipped
the food coloring and the screaming
hot peppers — you're welcome. The
teensy amount of cayenne pepper is
adjustable.
Turmeric stains, so be aware.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
•
8 whole quail, skin on
•
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil,
plus extra
•
½ teaspoon of coriander
•
½ teaspoon of turmeric
•
½ teaspoon of cumin
•
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
•
1 teaspoon of onion powder
•
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
•
2 teaspoons of garam masala
powder
•
Juice of half a lemon
•
3 cloves of garlic, minced
•
2 inches of ginger, peeled and
minced
•
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
•
¾ cup of plain yogurt
1. Using kitchen shears, cut open
each quail down the back. Turn each
bird breast-side up and press down
with the palm of your hand to break
the wishbone to flatten birds, and set
aside.
2. In a non-reactive bowl, whisk
together the rest of the ingredients.
Add the quail to the marinade and coat
each bird. Cover and refrigerate for at
least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Remove birds from the refrigerator
one hour prior to cooking. When ready
to cook, prepare grill for medium-high
heat cooking.
4. Brush hot grates with oil. Remove
quail from marinade and shake off
excess. Grill on each side until birds
become golden, slightly charred and
cooked through, about 5-7 minutes on
each side. Serve immediately.
Photographed are blistered shishito
peppers tossed with olive oil and
kosher salt.
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
TANDOORI QUAIL
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
IN THE FIELD
