Birthday Dinner

When I was little, my mom would make for me any one dish that I wanted for my birthday like shrimp curry and puri, chicken biriyani, or gajar ka halwa. When I started cooking a few years ago, I decided to cook my birthday dinner for my parents featuring one new dish each year. The star of this year’s dinner was tandoori chicken wings!

*Recipe* - 3 lbs chicken wings - 2 T plain yogurt - 2 T ginger garlic paste - 1 t Kashmiri chili powder - 1/4 t turmeric - 1/2 t cumin powder - 1 t coriander powder - 1/4 t Garam masala - 1/2 t dried mustard powder - 1 T lime juice - 1 t tomato paste - 1 t dried fenugreek leaves - 1 t dried mint leaves - salt to taste • Wash and clean your chicken wings. Pat dry! • Mix together all your ingredients and add your wings. Evenly coat the chicken with your marinade, cover, and keep in the fridge overnight (or for a few hours at least). • Pre-heat your oven to 400 F. Place wings on a tray and bake for 10-12 mins. Flip your wings and cook for 10-12 mins on the other side. Make sure chicken is cooked (internal temp of 165° or pierce the thickest portion of the wing and see if it’s juices run clear) • Take out wings and brush on the remainder of marinade. Put back into oven and broil on high for 3-4 mins or until the masala dries. Let your chicken rest for 5 mins, then serve with lime wedges and fresh cilantro. I paired this with golden rice and grilled veggies.