Oven Roasted Whole Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 6 – 8)

1. Whole chicken ( 4 – 5 pounds)

2. Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder (good quality) or mildly spicy chilly powder – 2.5 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 – 3/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 2 – 2.5 tbsp

Garam masala powder – 1 – 1.5 tbsp

Crushed fennel seeds – 3/4 tsp

Lemon juice – 1.5 tbsp

Chat masala – 1 tsp

Oil / melted butter – 3 tbsp

Salt – To taste

Method

1.  Clean the chicken by removing the skin, giblets and any extra fat inside the cavity, rinsing with water and drying thoroughly with a paper towel. You can keep the skin on, if you want.

2.  Make deep gashes on the  fleshy parts of the chicken so that  the masala can penetrate inside.  Combine all the ingredients numbered 2 in a bowl. Taste-check for salt. Marinate the chicken with this mixture. Keep it overnight in the refrigerator. Take it out  30 minutes before you are ready to bake.

3. Preheat the oven at 400 F.

4. Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil. Grease it with oil / butter. Place the marinated chicken inside the baking tray. Cover it with an aluminum foil and place inside the oven.

After 1 hour, take the chicken out and baste it with the juices that oozed out of it. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for another 30 – 40 minutes or until completely done (You can flip the chicken halfway through, if you want). Once the chicken is completely done, remove the foil on top and broil for 3 – 5 minutes. Take it out and set aside for 5 minutes. Spoon any left over juices in the tray over the chicken. Serve with sliced onion, tomato and lemon wedges.