• Place the yogurt, lemon juice, red chili powder, garlic paste, ginger paste, salt and tandoori seasoning in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
• With a paper towel, gently pat the chicken dry. Cut slits across the tops of each chicken piece, 1” apart and ½” deep. Add the chicken to the bowl and rub the seasoned yogurt all over the chicken pieces, being sure to rub it into the slits. Set the chicken aside to marinate, on the countertop, for 30 minutes.
• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-hot heat.
• Add the chicken pieces, one-at-a-time, to the hot pan. Don’t crowd the chicken. Cook 1½-2 minutes, or until the skillet side is golden brown. Flip the chicken over, cook 2 minutes, and repeat this process approximately 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. A meat thermometer should register 160°F for white meat and 165°F for dark meat, when tested in the thickest part of each piece. The different chicken pieces will take different times to cook. (White meat cooks more quickly than dark meat.)
• As each chicken piece finishes cooking, transfer it to a large, heatproof bowl.

Now, here is the fun, and slightly dangerous, trick to give the chicken the smoky “tandoori” flavoring without heating up the grill.

• If you have a gas stovetop, you are in luck. If you don’t, get out a grill lighter.
• First, make a 4” bowl out of a folded piece of aluminum foil (or use a heatproof 4” bowl). Nestle the bowl between the top chicken pieces.
• For safety purposes, place a heatproof dish close by the stove just in case the coal/wood chip get too hot or the flame gets too large.
• With heatproof tongs, hold the chunk of coal or the wood smoking chip over a lighter gas burner until the coal (wood chip) lights and begins to smoke. Place the smoking coal, or chip, in the prepared heatproof bowl on top of the chicken. Drizzle a few drops of oil over the burning coal (or wood chip) and place a large lid over the entire thing. The smoke needs to be trapped in the bowl with the chicken. Leave the bowl covered for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, remove the coal/wood chip and the small, heatproof bowl. Serve the chicken immediately. **See note.
• Enjoy!

**Note

• Tandoori chicken should always be served with the traditional garnishes of thinly sliced red onion, a lemon wedge, and chopped fresh cilantro. The four flavors meld perfectly together and complete the dish.