Serves . 4 2 small roasting chickens, about 500 g (1 lb.) each half teaspoon saffron strands 1 tablespoon boiling water 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 1 tablespoon lemon juice half teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 half teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons margarine

Skin the chickens, then make slits in the flesh of the thighs. drumsticks and breast, to allow spices to penetrate. Soak saffron in boiling water for 10 minutes and put into small blender jar with garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Scrape out blender jar and mix all other ingredients except margarine with the blended mixture. Dry the chickens inside and out with kitchen paper, then rub the spice mixture all over the chickens, especially in the slits made in the flesh. Cover and leave to marinate for 2 hours at least! or preferably refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 900_C (400_F). Put margarine in a roasting pan and heat in the oven for a minute to melt the margarine, then spread margarine over the base of the pan. Put chickens in the roasting pan, side by side but not touching. with the breasts downwards. Spoon the melted margarine over the birds. Roast in hot oven for 20 minutes. Baste with margarine. turn birds on one side and roast for 15 minutes. Then turn on other side, baste again and continue roasting for a further 15 minutes. Turn birds breast upwards, baste well with margarine and pan juices and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. basting every 5 minutes. Serve hot with parathas or naan roti and an onion salad. Note: If oven has a rotisserie, it is ideal for cooking tandoori chicken, but it will still be necessary to baste the birds because the skin has been removed.