Jazz up your weekend lunch with Shumaila Chauhan's Malabar Special Roast Chicken adapted from a recipe from one of Ummi Abdulla's cookbook. Abdulla is an expert on Malabar's Muslim cuisine.

Served with potato wedges, onion slices and piping hot gravy, it makes for a delicious Sunday roast.

Vegetarians can use the gravy recipe to roast a selection of veggies in the oven. 

Malabar Special Roast Chicken

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

For the marination

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 800 gm to 1 kg)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste

For the stuffing

• 1 egg, hard boiled
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp dhania or coriander powder
• Pinch haldi or turmeric powder
• 4 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp raisins
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves

For the gravy

• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 green chillies, sliced lengthwise
• 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp dhania or coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ cup green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup warm water

For roasting

• Slices of raw potato wedges
• Few onion halves

Method

For the marination

• Remove the skin, cut off the neck and tail, clean the insides and wash the chicken well.
  Pat dry and score the thighs and legs.
• In a large bowl, add the lemon juice, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt.
  Mix.
  Add the chicken and rub the masala all over it.
  Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 4-5 hours.
  Take the chicken out 30 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature.

For the stuffing

• Heat the 1 tsp vegetable oil in a kadhai or frying pan.
  Add the sliced onions.
  Cook for a few minutes till the onions are translucent.
  Add the ginger paste, garlic paste, green chillies, curry leaves.
  Saute for a few seconds.
  Add the coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, raisins, walnuts.
  Mix well.
  Add the coriander leaves.
  Season with salt and take the stuffing mixture off from the heat.
• Push the hard boiled egg inside the chicken cavity, and then add the stuffing.
  In case some stuffing is left over, do not overstuff the chicken.
  The extra stuffing can be added into the gravy later.
  Use a kitchen string to tie the legs together.
  With the same string, tie the arms as well.
  Set aside.
• Heat the ¼ cup coconut oil in a large frying pan.
  Add the chicken and fry for around 5 minutes on each side.
  The skin should brown.
  Take off heat and set aside.

For the gravy

• In the same remaining coconut oil, add the onions and saute on low heat, stirring frequently, till nicely caramelised.
  Add the green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves.
  Saute for a few more seconds.
  Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder and stir well.
  Add the tomatoes and salt.
  Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes are completely mashed.
  Add the ½ cup warm water, coriander leaves, garam masala, sugar, lime juice and any remaining stuffing.
  Cook till a slightly thick gravy consistency is achieved.
  Check seasoning and take off heat.

For the roasting

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  In a roasting tray, spread half of the gravy.
  Place the fried chicken in the middle.
  Coat the chicken with the remaining gravy.
  Keep 2-3 tbsp gravy aside to coat the potato wedges and onion halves.
  Once coated with the gravy, add the potato wedges and onion halves in the same roasting pan next to the chicken, and then top with the remaining gravy.
  Roast the chicken for 45-55 minutes, basting with oil from the gravy liquids in the pan mid-way through the baking.
  If the chicken gets too brown on top, cover with a sheet of aluminium foil.
  Once baked let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.
  Serve by itself or with biryani, ghee rice or any kind of Indian flatbread.

• RECIPES FOR YOU