Instructions

• Peel the skin up to the end of the drumstick and slit open the flesh from the top hind end of the leg and cut around neatly with a pair of scissors to remove the tendon and ligaments as shown in the pics above.
• Now scrape the drumstick with a knife to clean and with the scissors remove the tendon with the skin sticking to it. It snips and comes off easily with the scissors.
• Trim the top end a bit and flatten the flesh with the back of a knife and pound with a kitchen hammer. Handle them gently as the flesh breaks and comes off.
• Wash, drain, towel dry, then rub salt and lemon juice to the flattened/pounded drumsticks and set aside. Meanwhile prepare the marinade. Heat ghee in a small kadai or sauce pan. Add the gram flour and fry it in the melted ghee till the raw smell disappears and a nutty aroma emanates into the air.
• At this stage switch off the stove and add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and kashmiri chilli, stir quickly to mix smoothly, let it cool a bit then add the hung yoghurt, whisk well then finally add the green cardamom and garam masala powders. Adjust the salt, mix well, then rub it on the flattened chicken drumsticks one by one so that they are all smeared well with the marinade. Leave aside for up to 4 hours or over night.
• Add the deseeded and chopped green chillies and cilantro to the marinated chicken drumsticks just an hour before roasting them so as to retain their flavours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees on convection roast, arrange them on a rack on a cookie sheet and place it in the centre of the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Baste them with oil from time to time. For larger drumsticks it might take a little longer. You need to turn them over and roast well on both the sides. When they are almost done baste them with the cheese mixture, leave for 2 more minutes and remove when the cheese gets absorbed and they turn golden brown. Do not over cook.
• Enjoy with onions, radish slices sprinkled with salt, lemon juice and chaat masala or kachumbar salad. So yummy and delicious!