This just isn't going to be a good picture----it doesn't matter how much cilantro I throw on it. But I promise it tastes good.

I did some research on tandoori chicken last week and learned that a lot of times, the way the red coloring is achieved in restaurants is through food coloring.

The more food coloring you add, the more red your chicken will be. I find this highly amusing, yet no one else in my family finds it as funny as I do. But imagine. The chicken could be *blue*! or *chartreuse*! and still taste the same!

anyway. If you don't want to use food coloring, don't. But you won't get red chicken.

The Ingredients.

3-4 pounds chicken---pieces or whole, your choice. I had a whole one I bought on sale a while ago, and skinned it before I put it in the crock. I have abnormal issues with chicken skin.

1 cup plain yogurt, divided (you could use sour cream, instead)

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

(the picture shows whole. I grabbed the wrong bottle.)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cardamom pods, or 1/4 teaspoon ground

1 tablespoon cumin

6 cloves garlic (I tossed them in whole)

5-6 drops red food coloring (optional)

1 lemon, juiced

The Directions.

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker . Skin the bird and toss out the neck and the stuff from inside. Shudder a few times.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup yogurt with all dry spices, and the red food coloring. Smear all over the bird, inside and out. Put the cardamom pods inside the bird, and lower it into the crockpot . Toss whole garlic cloves on top, and squeeze on the lemon juice.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4. You can check doneness with a meat thermometer, too. Serve with basmati rice.

After removing meat from the pot, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt to make a yummy sauce to pour over the meat and rice.

The Verdict.

I really liked this a lot. The meat was spicy where it was coated in the blend, but otherwise just slightly infused with the smoky flavor. I was able to peel some non-spicy meat off the bones for the kids (which they dipped in bbq sauce), and Adam and I piled our plates high with the meat on top of rice with lots of the tandoori sauce. If I was going to make this for company, I'd use boneless, skinless thighs. The bones got in my way.

I've saved the carcass to