Hot Wings (tandoori, with sizzler onions)

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken wings, optionally halved at the joint, tips removed
• 2 limes, juice: 1 to season the wings beforehand, 1 for the marinade
• 5 green chili peppers, long Indian (finger chillies), with seeds - the main source of heat
• fresh coriander, small bunch, roughly chopped, for the paste, plus some extra for garnish
• 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 2 red onions, sliced into thin rings, for the sizzler
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp tandoori masala
• 1 tsp chaat masala, plus a pinch extra to sprinkle on the wings
• 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp hot chili powder (regular hot chili powder, not kashmiri) – for madras level heat
• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder, for smoky tandoor flavor
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
• 1 tbsp ghee or butter, for the sizzler onions

Method

1. Seasoning the wings: Place the chicken wings in a large bowl, season generously with salt and black pepper, squeeze the juice of 1 lime over them and mix well.
2. Pounding peppers and coriander: Pound the green chili peppers and coriander in a mortar and pestle until you get a paste.
3. Making the marinade: In a bowl, mix the chili-coriander paste with the yogurt, oil, garlic-ginger paste, ground coriander, tandoori masala, cumin, chaat masala, kashmiri chili powder, hot chili powder, smoked paprika powder, and the juice of the second lime until smooth.
4. Marinating: Stir the marinade through the chicken wings until all are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably up to 24 hours. Remove 20 minutes before cooking.
5. Cooking: Oven: Preheat to 220°C. Place the wings on a rack set over a baking tray and cook for 30 minutes (check after 20 minutes and turn if necessary). Air fryer: Preheat to 200°C. Grease the basket and cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking or turning halfway.
6. Tandoor edges: For the charred tandoor effect, place the wings under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the edges start to blacken.
7. Sizzler onions: Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan or sizzler plate until smoking and remove from heat. Add the ghee and immediately toss in the red onion rings, stirring briefly. They should soften slightly without browning.
8. Serving: Place the hot wings on top of the onions in the pan, sprinkle with a pinch of chaat masala and some coriander, and squeeze lemon over to create the sizzling effect. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, and optionally with raita or mint chutney.