Moist and fragrant, rosy-red and slightly blackened, tandoori chicken is India’s answer to southern-style barbecue. The meat gets its colour from marinating in paprika, cayenne and other spices (and, in some cases, food colouring), plus a mixture of yogurt and lemon. But much of its flavour comes from the charcoal or gas-fired clay tandoor ovens in which it’s cooked. Though tandoors have been traced back to ancient Babylon, the dish first found popularity in India just 60 years ago, when a chain called Moti Mahal (no relation to the incarnations of the same name in Toronto) introduced it in Delhi. But while tandoori chicken may still be on its first life, we’ve found four local versions that come close to nirvana.