India, Dec. 24 -- Christmas roasts have always been about bringing everyone together around a single, impressive dish. The idea of a whole roast bird comes from European winter feasts, where slow roasting marked celebration and abundance. Over time, this tradition found new expressions across cultures, including India's own roasting styles shaped by spice, yoghurt, and controlled heat.

Tandoori cooking traces its roots to North India, where meats were traditionally marinated in spiced yoghurt and cooked over intense heat in clay ovens. This method became widely popular in the mid-20th century and is known for locking in flavour while allowing excess fat to drip away. Applying tandoori flavours to a Christmas roast chicken keeps the famil...